Across The Universe Pt 2
by Net Girl
Summary: Buffy & SW: Phantom Mencace. Sequel to Death of the Chosen One, Revenge of the Jinn.


Rating: PG-13 

Disclaimers in Part One. 

Conclusion to: 

Across The Universe by Teresa Owens and Paul Leone 

Send all commentary to: NetGrlWill@aol.com and NovusSibyl@aol.com. All flames are read, laughed at then deleted with extreme prejudice. 

* * * * * * 

Naboo 

"So when we take off, what will it feel like?" Xander asked, staring eagerly out the window of the space cruiser. Right now, all he could see was the inside of the hanger - the ship wasn't going to take off for another ten minutes or so, but it was still so cool. How many Earth people had ever been in a real space ship? 

Imoen hesitating before answering, struggling with the temptation to make up horrible stories just so he'd stop babbling. It was so hard having to explain every last detail of things she took for granted. But she had been much the same way, if a little more reserved, in the early days on Earth. "If you don't look, you wouldn't even notice we'd left the ground." 

"Oh. That's no fun." 

"Would you rather we felt the full force of acceleration and ended up as bloody goo on the back wall of the cabin?" Imoen asked, somewhat impatiently. She just wasn't in the mood for dealing with Xander's enthusiasms. What awaited them at the end of the journey was far more important. And her parents - 

Imoen bit back a sigh. Eirtae's embarrassed explanation earlier that afternoon still stung. "Sold the estate...moved away...don't know where..." The words echoed in her thoughts. "Sold the estate..." The Eärendil family had lived there for nearly a millennium. To sell it after only a few months...if only they had waited just a few weeks longer. Or at least given the land to one of the other branches of the family instead of a faceless agro-combine. Buying back the land, even if she had the money needed, would have been all but impossible. 

"Goo?" Xander winced and swallowed hard. "That's... an interesting visual." 

"Don't worry. This is a top of the line ship. Gravity field accidents are almost unheard of." 

"But, um, if the gravity thing did fail, then what?" Xander asked nervously. 

Imoen shrugged. "We'd be smashed to bits before we even knew what happened, most likely." 

"Smashed to bits?" Xander's face took on a strange green hue. "Gooey bits? Red gooey bits - excuse me!" He shot up out of his seat and raced down the corridor that lead to the bathroom. 

Imoen buried her head in her hands. What else could possibly happen to her today? 

It didn't take long for the answer. 

"Excuse me?" 

Imoen looked up, wondering what it was now. 

It was Senator Mon Mothma. 

"Oh! Senator! I didn't - How - very good to see you. Meet you." Imoen stopped and let out a deep breath. She was staring to sound like Xander now. "Yes, your honor?" 

The Senator grinned down at Imoen. "I was almost knocked over by your companion the Ambassador in the hallway. He seemed ill. Is he okay?" 

Imoen nodded, then shook her head. "I think he's got, um, spacesickness." 

"Spacesickness?" Mon Mothma nodded, clearly confused. "I see." 

"It's his first time on a spaceship," Imoen added. What was the Senator even doing on the ship, anyway, besides adding to her misery and confusion? But perhaps - what if there was a way she could warn Mon Mothma about what she knew about the future somehow? 

"Oh. I do hope he feels better. He seemed quite distraught." 

"Xander is rather easily distraught. Many Earth people are." 

Mon Mothma pursed her lips in a half-frown. "You've been to Earth?" 

"Oh, yes. I was forced to stay there for several months. Only recently have I returned to Naboo." 

"Ah. I had heard that it was a newly discovered world." 

Imoen nodded. Well, in a sense it was... "Yes, Senator. I was one of the first citizens of the Republic to ever visit it." 

"How fascinating. It is so rare that we have a genuine first contact situation in these days." Mon Mothma gestured at the empty seat that Xander had been sitting in. "May I sit?" 

"Of course, Senator." 

"Thank you...so what is this planet Earth like? I had hoped to ask Ambassador Harris about it, but he...well...." The Senator glanced back towards the bathroom. 

"Right." Earth? What to say...Imoen swallowed hard and resisted the temptation to vent her frustration with all of Earth's petty problems. "It's a somewhat primitive world, Senator. But I like it. And I miss it." 

"Well, after your business on Coruscant is complete, perhaps you can return there... Perhaps even in an official capacity." 

Imoen glanced sharply at the Senator. "Official capacity, Senator?" 

"Yes. I have some sway with the Foreign Ministry. You have personal experience with the world, always a strong asset in diplomatic affairs. And Queen Amidala spoke highly of you, recommendation enough for me. Consider it, at least," Mon Mothma said with an encouraging smile. She stood up and shook a dumbstruck Imoen's hand, then left in the direction of the bridge. 

Imoen stared after Mon Mothma, her mind racing. Her, a diplomat? The idea was - well, as absurd as Xander as Ambassador of Earth. Besides, Earth was in another universe. The real one. 

------ 

Alderaan 

"Xander? The ship landed...how are you feeling?" 

Imoen's voice sounded muffled and distant through the bathroom door. 

"Mmf," Xander replied, trying to avoid unnecessary movement. He was still more than a bit queasy. It was embarrassing. Beyond embarrassing. This was Carrie at the Prom level. 

"Xander?" Imoen asked in a concerned voice. "Are you there?" 

"I'm good," he managed to gasp out. "Are you sure we landed?" The seat that Xander was perched on was still humming slightly from the vibration of the engines. At least his stomach didn't feel like it was sawing through his ribs any more, though. 

"Yes, Xander." Now she sounded annoyed. "I can see the city from the window. I would like to get a closer view soon, though..." 

"Okay, okay, coming..." Xander grabbed the edge of the bathroom sink for support and hauled himself to his feet. The world didn't tilt 90 degrees, so he took a step forward, then another, then managed to pull the door open without too much strain. 

"You look horrible," Imoen said as soon as she saw him. "Are you sure that you're well?" 

"Mostly." Xander rubbed his forehead. No lingering panic-sweat. He shuddered and forced the memories of the last five hours into a dark, dark place at the back of his brain. "Okay. So where's Alderaan?" 

"There." Imoen stepped aside to let Xander look out the small, circular window. 

"Oh." Xander poked his nose up to the window to get a better view. Finally! Alderaan in all its...airport terminal glory... Xander stared at the bland, box-shaped building opposite the spaceship. He could just barely see a few trees beyond it, but otherwise, nothing. "It's very, um...boring." 

"It's a spaceport, Xander, they're either boring or cesspools of...scum and villainy?" 

"Wretched hives, Imoen, wretched hives." 

"Oh." Imoen frowned for a moment. "But that's not nearly as descriptive. Hives can be quite lovely." 

"Maybe on Naboo." Xander twisted his head, hoping vainly to get a look past the terminal. Nothing doing. "Okay. So where's the exit?" 

"This way." Imoen took Xander's hands and half-pulled him down the long, curving hallway to the exit tunnel, and then down that tunnel into the port proper. 

The other passengers had already long since departed, making the pass through Customs brief and, to Xander, boring. 

"Don't they even stamp your passport or anything?" he asked after the Customs Droid had waved them through to a massive glass-walled chamber. Thousands, if not more, of people, mostly humans, filled the room, quietly and orderly lining up at the various gates and exits. There weren't even any screaming babies. This was definitely not Earth. 

"Passport?" 

"Never mind....Now where?" Xander asked, staring at the massive sign above his head. It was written in at least 15 languages, most looking like random scribbles and dots, and none resembling English in the slightest. 

"This way." Imoen pointed at a squiggle-dot-squiggle above a picture of what could be a car. 

"Oh." Xander nodded sheepishly and followed Imoen out of the spaceport. 

----- 

The repulsorcab ride from the spaceport to Aldera City took no more than half an hour, but Xander felt the time slow to a crawl as he tried to take in each last detail of Alderaan. He knew he'd never forget it as long as he lived. Naboo could, if you squinted and if no Gungans were around, be mistaken for Earth, but Alderaan was most definitely not like anything Xander had ever seen. 

It had started out fairly blandly. The spaceport was ringed by a thick forest of tall, blue and green trees split by a half-dozen roads. Nothing amazing there, except for the color and size of the trees. 

But then the forest ended and Xander got his first glimpse of Aldera City in the distance. At first, he thought it was a mountain, not a city, then he thought it was a giant crystal. As the cab drew closer, he realized it was a crystal - or rather, thousands of them - the city wasn't made of steel and stone, but of quartz and glass that reflected the deep blue color of the sky and the cloud-obscured light of Alderaan's sun. 

"Wow." 

Imoen nodded weakly, just as absorbed by the city as Xander was. 

"I - how long did it take to - wow..." Xander lapsed into silence as the cab entered the crystal city. Nothing he could say would do it justice, anyway. It was indescribably alien, even if the people who built it were humans. Sort of. The Alderaanians that Xander saw as the cab whizzed through the streets were mostly dressed in long white robes - how did they keep them clean in a city? - and looked slightly taller than Earthmen. 

The cab dropped them off at the main high-speed train station in the center of the city. Xander watched the cab depart and then tilted his head to stare up at the crystal towers all around. It was like being in a comic book, almost. 

After a few minutes, Imoen leaned over to Xander and tapped him on the shoulder. "So where do you want to go, anyway?" she asked. 

"Um..." The thought hadn't really occurred to Xander. On the ship, he'd been otherwise occupied...and before, there wasn't really time to think about it. 

"I'm drawing a blank here. What's good?" 

"I've never been to Alderaan, Xander, I don't know!" Imoen replied. It was his idea to come here, why didn't he have a plan? 

"Well, your people are from here..." 

"That was thousands of years ago, Xander. Coming from the man who got lost on the way back from Denny's at two in the morning..." 

"Point. Um...Alderaan...I guess we could go see where Princess Leia lives. Will live. Eventually. I mean, where the royal family lives. Kinda like a funky Buckingham Palace, right?" 

"Buckingham Palace?" 

"Where Giles' kings and queens live." It was a Queen now, Xander thought, but he wasn't sure. Giles always went off on long, numbing speeches when the topic came up. 

"Oh. But I thought you were a republic?" 

"We are. Giles isn't. I mean, England, not Giles." 

Imoen nodded politely. The idea that a planet could have more than one government, let alone hundreds, was one of the many things that struck her as so backward about Earth. "Well, it sounds like a lovely idea. But Aldera City will be bustling today. We'd never get back to the spaceport in time." 

"Well, darn," Xander grumbled, kicking the ground with his foot. He'd really wanted to see Princess Leia's house too. Oh well. It just wasn't meant to be. Well, he'd at least get to see Coruscant close up, like Buffy had. 

Imoen scanned the Arrival/Departure chart above the main entrance of the rail station. "Perfect. There's a train heading back for the spaceport in two hours." 

"Two hours, huh?" Xander frowned and scratched the stubble on his chin - have to shave one of these days. "Wanna do the tourist thing?" 

"Actually, I was hoping that perhaps we could split up. I've heard wonderful things about Alderaan's shops." 

"Well, sure, but we don't have to split up, do we? Cities scare me. Especially alien ones." 

"You'll be fine, Ambassador. Alderaan is a safe planet. Just don't wander down alleys or into cantinas." Imoen smiled shyly. "And the sort of shops I want to visit aren't the kind that men are allowed in." 

"Oh." Xander frowned thoughtfully. "Oh! Okay. Yeah. Girlie stuff. Okay. I can live with that." 

"Xander, you're babbling..." 

"Okay. Shutting up. Buy something frilly." 

"Xander!" Imoen smiled despite herself. Maybe she could spoil herself and get a nice Alderaanian dress to surprise him. "I'll meet you back here in an hour, okay?" 

"Okay. Bye!" Xander started to hug Imoen, froze, then lamely squeezed her on the shoulder. He tried not to wince. That was pretty pathetic, even by his standards. "Have fun." 

"Oh, I will." Imoen smiled wickedly and then vanished into the crowded sidewalk. 

Xander stared after her for a moment, then shrugged. Women shopping was more pain than he could handle. 

"Well, Alderaan, it's just you and me. Show me your wonders..." he said to himself. 

----- 

Imoen spent most of her hour window-shopping, as Buffy and Willow called it. It had never made sense to her before, but there was a sort of strange appeal in imagining herself in clothes she'd never own. Especially clothes as beautiful as some of the dresses in the window of one particularily fancy boutique near Lake Lara. One particular silk dress, of a cut and color much like the Queen's Celebration Gown, caught her eye. It was expensive, but Queen Amidala _had_ given them a large credit account with the Bank of Naboo...In the end, practicality lost out to vanity and Imoen purchased the dress. Xander would love it, she hoped. He was rather easily pleased, she'd noticed. 

By the time she'd paid for the dress, the hour was almost up. Imoen wished she could stay longer. The city was so beautiful - a giant work of art, really. So different from Theed, even though both cities were the work of the same race. Another difference between her world and Earth - on Earth, modern society was far grander and more advanced than it had ever been, while Naboo was in some ways just an echo of Alderaan. 

And, the thought hit like a blaster bolt, in twenty years, both would be gone. Everything around her, all the beautiful crystal towers, would be blown to dust in an instant. All the people, all their children and grandchildren, would be slain... 

Imoen sat down heavily on the nearest bench and tried to hold back the tears. A young mother playing with her baby nearby only added to her misery. She was so tempted to scream at the woman to leave Alderaan and never come back...to yell at all of them to leave, but what good could come of it? The police would just lock her away and none of them would listen. They didn't listen to Mon Mothma, and she was one of the most respected Senators in the galaxy. Why would they believe some young courtier from a backwater planet? 

She sighed and wiped the tears away, forced herself to stop weeping. Crying definitely wouldn't solve anything. Besides, Xander was probably wondering where she was by now, if he hadn't gone off and gotten into trouble. 

Varda granted small mercies, at least. Xander was loitering around in front of the rail station when Imoen reached it. He smiled and waved. 

"Hey! Just the purty lady I was waiting for." 

"Purty?" 

"Pretty." 

Imoen blushed slightly and smiled. "Buy anything?" she asked after a short silent moment. 

"Oh, yeah! Check it out. I got you a souvenir." Xander reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small wrapped parcel. "Open it up." 

Imoen undid the silver ribbon and tore off the wrapping paper. Inside was a blue and gold egg-shaped device with a button and a pair of tiny silver knobs on it. "This won't shoot out a paper snake if I open it, will it?" Imoen asked nervously. She was still recovering from being dragged to a 'novelty shop' by Xander a few weeks ago. 

Xander shook his head. "Go on, press the button." 

"I swear, if this slimes me..." Nonetheless, Imoen pushed the small button. The egg chimed like a bell and a tiny holographic image appeared above it, an intricate image of the galaxy. Slowly, the hologram began to rotate, simulating the unceasing movement of the stars. "Oh! It's beautiful!" 

"Shh, there's more," Xander whispered. On cue, another small panel opened in the side of the egg and a woman's voice began singing in Old Alderaanian. 

The language was close enough to Naboo for Imoen to follow most of the words. "It's a lu- " 

"Lullaby, yeah. Isn't it cool? I got it at this weird little Sullustan tourist place down the street. I knew you'd like it." 

Lullaby? Imoen frowned slightly and listened to the gentle song. No, it was definitely a love song. In fact - she let out an excited gasp. It was the Lament of Varda! "Thank you, Xander!" she exclaimed, then impulsively kissed him on the lips long and hard. 

"You should thank me more often," Xander managed to say after a few seconds. "I'm glad you like it," he added in a more serious voice. "Whenever you listen to it, think of me." 

"I will. I'll never let it go." Imoen shut the music-egg off and carefully placed it in her handbag. 

"Good." Xander smiled again, still feeling a tingle in his lips. "So now what?" 

"It might be best to go back to the port now. Oh! I almost forgot." Imoen reached into her handbag and fished out a small silver vial with a colorful label. "Here. It's space-sickness formula," she said, handing the bottle of spice-water to Xander. 

"Wow. You're a godsend," Xander said as he took the bottle. 

"A what?" 

Xander shrugged. "It's a Gilesism," he said, slipping the vial into his pocket. "So what now? What time is it, anyway? These fifteen hour clocks weird me out." 

"Thirteen o'clock, I think." Imoen frowned slightly. Just when she'd finally gotten used to Earth's strange time system, she had to figure out an entirely new and equally baffling system. A thirty hour day? That was almost as weird as a twenty four hour day. "At any rate, let's go. I'm sure the port will be very crowded." 

"Huh? Why?" 

"Because of the holiday..." Imoen, recognizing the blank look on Xander's face, couldn't help but smile. He was so oblivious sometimes. "It's Miralana Day, Xander - one of the most important Alderaanian holidays. The entire Royal Family comes out and speaks to the people. It celebrates the first queen of the Alderaanians - and the Naboo. Except we celebrate it during the winter, not autumn." 

"Oh. Right. Miralana Day." 

"It's like your - " What was the name of that strange American warlord? "George Lincoln day?" 

"Abraham Lincoln. Or George Washington." 

"There were two of them? Anyway, didn't you see all the signs and posters?" 

"Saw, yes. Understood, no." 

"Oh, right. Well, it's a very big holiday. The Royal Family all give speeches and there's a party and fireworks all night long." Imoen smiled, remembering Miralana Days of her childhood - her family watching the fireworks from the roof of their house, the first time she'd danced with a boy, the grand week long celebration when Amidala's coronation fell in the same week as Miralana Day by a happy coincidence... 

"I don't suppose we can stay for the party?" Xander asked, bringing Imoen back from her memories. 

"No. We're expected on Coruscant." Imoen shivered, suddenly cold. And once there, what? How could they speak with that monster Palpatine - after being on the world he would have destroyed? How could they even meet such a creature and - and not kill him? "It wouldn't be proper to make the Chancellor wait," she said after a moment, trying to keep the hatred out of her voice. 

"I guess we've got a cab to catch," Xander said, startled by Imoen's angry tone. What had pissed her off so suddenly? 

----- 

Enroute to Coruscant 

Imoen sighed. Xander fled to the bathroom before the ship had even made its hyperspace jump. She felt so very sorry for him. He just wasn't cut out for space travel, it appeared. Buffy didn't seem to have a problem with it when she was there. But then again, Buffy was a much stronger person than Xander. Imoen didn't like to think negatively about him, it's just that he was not the physical type Buffy was. Xander couldn't effectively defend himself in such a hostile environment as the one in which Imoen lived. 

If Buffy and Willow and Giles didn't act soon, the "Ambassador of Earth" could end up in serious trouble. Palpatine might see through the ruse in a heartbeat. Perhaps he already knew and that's why he had summoned them to Coruscant. 

If that was true, there wouldn't be much time to do anything before he acted. Imoen knew that if Palpatine was anything like the old sorcerer in the movies, they'd both be dead if he wished it. Unless...unless she acted first. 

She could do it. Just step up, smile, and shoot him between the eyes. One pull of a trigger and decades of horror would be aborted. It was almost as if Varda herself had arranged it and made it so easy on purpose. She could see it now - the stunned expression on what was left of the monster's face before he fell to the ground... 

"Hey, who died now?" 

Imoen snapped out of her grim daydream. "Huh?" 

Xander gingerly sat down, his face still slightly green but less than before. "Just making a funny...nobody did die, right?" 

"Not yet." 

"Oh, oka - huh? You plannin' on taking someone out?" Xander asked, a confused look on his face. 

Imoen glanced around the cabin. A few other Naboo, off-duty technicians playing a card game, were seated at the other end of the room. "Walk with me." 

"Okay..." Xander got up and followed Imoen down the long curving hallway that lead towards the deserted cargo hold of the ship. After they were safely out of earshot, Xander stopped and turned towards Imoen. "Okay, so what's up? Why the covertness?" 

Imoen took a deep breath. It was one thing to convince herself of the rightness of her plan, but Xander would probably be hard to persuade. Still, she had to try... 

"When we get to Coruscant, Xander, there's something very important I want to do. Something I can only do with your help." 

A startled look crossed Xander's face. "Okay, tell me more, because I've got all sorts of kinky ideas running 'round my head now..." 

"Xander! This is serious!" Imoen snapped. 

"I can be serious without being yelled at. I get that enough from Giles," Xander replied in a cold, soft tone. 

"Then be serious!" Imoen exclaimed, then sighed. She hadn't meant things to take an ugly turn like this. "I'm sorry, Xander. I - just listen to me, please." 

"Okay, I'm listening. What's the matter?" 

"I - I want to - " 

"Want to what, Imoen?" Xander placed a hand on her shoulder. He was surprised to find she was shaking. His expression turned to concern. "What's wrong? You're shaking. Are you all right?" 

Imoen closed her eyes, trying to steady her now shaking hands. "I want to kill him, Xander," she forced out in one quick sentence. She drew in a sharp breath and opened her eyes, meeting his stunned gaze. "I want him dead." 

Xander blinked. He'd never seen that look on Imoen's face in all the month's he'd known her. And never had she expressed such a desire to kill someone. 

"Who? I don't understand what you're -" 

"Palpatine, Xander. That's who," she hissed in reply. She glanced up and down the corrdiors to make sure that no one milled around. "I want to kill him." 

"Wha-...kill him? What are you talking about? Why do you want to kill him?" 

Imoen clasped her hands together, gritting her teeth. Was he that blind? "Think about it, Xander. For what reason would I want him dead? I want to save my world." 

"You... what? Imoen, I..." 

"You heard me. I want to prevent Palpatine from taking over my galaxy. I want to change the future of my world. Because I won't accept what I've seen as the only way this can unfold. Do you understand that, Xander?" 

"Imoen..." Xander tried to gather up his wits, while trying to control his stomach which was doing somersaults. That elixir or whatever Imoen had given him on Alderaan wasn't doing much good. "Kill him? Why take that risk, I don't understand?" He lowered his voice. "Remember... Luke Skywalker saved everyone at the end... things turned out good." 

"I have a life here, Xander. My parents -" She paused, feeling another twinge of pain remembering them. "My friends, my homeworld... all are destined to be destroyed. I wish to stop it." 

Xander's hand clutched onto his stomach. "You can't change what's already been written..." He gritted his teeth for a moment. Spacesickness was worse than airsickness anyday. "Like I said... it all turns out good in the end." 

"That's easy for you to say, you don't have to live here," Imoen snapped in reply. "It's all a big game for you. What if I told you that you had to watch Buffy, Willow, Oz and Giles all suffer because someone wrote it that way? Hmm? Would you say, 'Oh, it all turns out well in the end' to that, Xander?" 

"I don't suppose I -" Xander paused when there was a sudden shifting of the deck under their feet, accompanied by a soft pop-pop-pop sound. He flinched and snapped his mouth shut. "Mfhm. What was that?" he asked through gritted teeth. 

"We must have made the jump to hyperspace. Will you - " 

"'Scuse!" Xander blurted out, shoving his way past Imoen and raced up the hallway for the bathroom. He couldn't continue this conversation with her any longer, not unless she wanted to be barfed on. 

"Fuck," Imoen let out to the empty hallway. She couldn't do this without him at her side, but he was in no condition to hear her out. She sighed and balled her hands into fists. Now what? The stupidity of her plan sunk in as she began to follow Xander. She didn't even have a blaster. How could she possibly kill Palpatine? Glare him to death? 

There had to be another way. If she could just discover it before it was too late... 

* * * * * * 

Library--Next Day 

"I'm really worried about Xander and Imoen," Willow said as she and Buffy walked down the hallway headed for the library. "I kept dreaming Xander was in danger. Someone wanted him dead. I can't shake the feeling he's in terrible trouble." 

"We're gonna get them back, Will," Buffy replied. She stopped outside the library as did Willow. "I promise." 

Willow nodded, not convinced by Buffy's words. She knew her friend was only trying to cheer her up, keep her positive. It wasn't really working. 

The two girls went into the library and stopped when they saw Zahn at the table. He had his head laid down on his folded arms, his eyes were closed. He was fast asleep. He shifted slightly, grumbling something under his breath. 

"Buffy," Willow directed Buffy's attention to Giles' office. 

Inside the office, Giles was lying on the couch. He had an open book lying across his chest and a cup of tea neatly balanced on the arm of the couch just above his head. His glasses sat a little crooked on his face. More books lay on the floor of his office. 

"The dangers of leaving two research fiends alone," Buffy commented as she walked into the office. "Remember this scene well, Willow." 

Willow stepped over some books lying on the floor near Zahn. She turned briefly to nod a response to Buffy. "I think they pulled every book Giles owns off the shelves," she said. 

Buffy carefully stepped over the books by the couch. She leaned over and tapped Giles lightly on hand. "Giles?" she half-whispered. She tapped him again, more insistent this time. "Hey... Giles, wake up. Someone broke into the library last night and stole your entire Time-Life series!" 

"Huh?" Giles jerked awake. He sat up, fumbling with the book on his chest. "What did you say?" he asked, pushing his glasses back on his face the correct way. He grabbed his book before it slipped onto the floor and looked up to Buffy. "W-w-hat are you doing here, Buffy? It's..." He took a glance at his watch, his eyebrow raised. "It's... a little after 10." 

"Yeah, 10 AM, Giles," Buffy added. She knelt down and scooped up some of the books of the floor then dropped them onto his desk. "You're messier than I am. I should show this place to my mother and she'll never call me the messiest person alive again. Pick up stuff after you're done with it. Respect your possessions." 

Giles pushed himself up off of the couch. He paused and rubbed his lower back, wincing at the sharp pain. Once he had his balance, he placed his book on his desk with the others and followed Buffy into the main part of the library. 

"You had some night, huh?" Buffy said, glancing back at Giles. 

Zahn buried his face in his hands as he sat up straight in his chair. "Oooohhhh," he groaned. He rubbed his eyes with his fingers and drew in a deep breath. "I feel like I'm back in college, cramming for exams in a desperate all nighter." 

"What were you doing?" Willow asked as she poked through the various books on the table. She turned to a page in the Wiccan spellbook she'd picked up. 

"Possible variations on the Numenor spell," Zahn answered, lowering his hands from his face. "Anything that might help us perform this spell with minimum risk." 

Willow closed the spellbook and looked to Giles and Zahn. "I'm rejuvenated after my good night's sleep," she assured them with a bright smile. "See? All bright and cheery and not a smidge of exhaustion." 

Buffy shook her head. "Willow, we can't ask you to do that spell again." 

Willow clutched her book close to her chest, her face becoming determined. "I have full confidence in myself. I know I can do this spell," she told them. "I can make it work. And I don't want to hear another protest about it." 

"But, Willow -" Giles began. 

"Ah, ah!" she sharply said, holding up a hand to him. She turned her head. "I said not another word!" 

Zahn leaned back in his chair, looking up to Giles. "I don't think you're gonna win this one, Rupert," he said. "I'd just let her try again. And she's our only shot at making this work. You know that as well as I do." 

----- 

Willow opened her eyes once the spell was completed. The strain on her was considerably less this time than the night before. Not all of her concentration went into keeping the portal open. 

"Xander," she whispered in relief when she saw him sitting with Imoen in some strange little room. Neither Xander nor Imoen said anything to each other. As a matter of fact, they appeared rather angry. Willow figured the two of them had had a fight, and she frowned. 

"That was quick," Buffy said, looking from the portal to Willow. 

Willow shrugged. "It was much easier this time." 

Buffy stepped up to the portal, looking at Xander and Imoen and their current surroundings. She put a hand up to the portal and pushed. 

"Still solid," she reported, glancing over her shoulder to Giles and Zahn. "But..." 

"But what?" Giles asked, coming forward. 

Buffy pointed to the portal. "This place... I've been here before," she answered. She snapped her fingers, recognizing it. "I know where they are! They're in the _Star Wars_ universe!" 

* * * * * * 

Xander blinked. He looked around the room. What was that? He could've sworn he'd heard Buffy's voice in his mind. 

Buffy? he thought. He waited a few moments, but no answer came. It must've been all in his head. Thinking about home was probably getting to him. He missed Earth and the real world very much now. And he'd never thought he ever would. 

"I know where they are! They're in the _Star Wars_ universe!" Buffy's voice clearly came through once more. 

"Buffy?" Xander finally asked outloud. He looked up then leaned over, peering underneath the table. He shook his head as he sat up straight. No Buffy. 

Imoen watched Xander curiously. "Is something the matter, Xander?" she inquired. She raised an eyebrow when he looked at her. "You're acting rather strange." 

Xander sighed. He rubbed his temples with the heels of his hands. "I think I'm hearing voices," he responded as he lowered his hands. "Is that a side effect of a hyperspace jump? I don't remember reading about people hearing voices in the -" He left the last word off. He'd had the argument about fiction and futures with Imoen and didn't want to revisit that scary place. 

"Voices? No, not that I've experienced," she replied. "Are you all right? Perhaps hyperspace travel doesn't agree with you?" 

Xander looked over to her. He was surprised to see a small smile on her lips. He dared to offer a brief smile in return. Maybe things between them would be all right after all? 

* * * * * * 

Giles came closer to the portal, watching Imoen and Xander talk. "Are you certain?" 

"Yes," said Buffy, nodding. She gestured to the portal. "I was on one of those ships when I was taken to that planet..." She frowned, trying to remember the name. "Croissant... Crescent roll. Something like that." 

"Whoa! Whoa, hold on!" Zahn interrupted, coming over to them. "What's this about you being zapped into the _Star Wars_ universe?" he asked of Buffy. "How is that possible? It's a fictional place!" 

"It's... a long story," Giles replied after a brief hesitation. 

"Wait for the movie," Buffy added, looking to Zahn. She rolled her eyes a little, remembering Serena's visit to Sunnydale. "And it's _very_ unwanted sequel!" 

Zahn sighed, shaking his head. "Okay... I'll just go with the flow for now," he said. He nodded to the portal. "So.. how did they end up.. _there_?" 

Buffy shrugged. "Don't know." 

Giles studied the portal. "Perhaps... it's because Imoen is originally from this universe," he said. He nodded, thinking over his theory. "It's possible her connection to that world drew the two of them to this place." 

"So.. Ethan's plan to send them some place unpleasant backfired on him, huh?" Buffy said. 

Giles looked at her. "It would appear so." 

* * * * * * 

Imoen looked around the ship, her smile faded. "Xander, I do not believe the hyperspace travel is affecting you," she said. "I heard the voices, too." 

Xander nodded. "Yeah, I hear Giles' voice now," he told her. He got up and walked around the room. "Giles? Buffy?" he asked. When no answer came, he scratched his head, puzzled. "I don't get this. Are we going crazy?" 

"So... Ethan's plan to send them some place unpleasant backfired on him, huh?" Buffy's voice said. 

"It would appear so," Giles' voice replied. 

Xander and Imoen looked at each other, the realization hitting them at the same moment. Somehow... somewhere... Giles and Buffy knew where they were. 

"We're not going crazy," Xander said. He let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank God. I thought I'd be spending the rest of my days in a rubber room." 

He looked to Imoen. "Do they have those here?" 

Imoen disregarded his last question. She let her eyes travel around the ship. "If _they_ can see us, why can't we see them?" She got up. "And if we hear them, do they hear us?" 

Xander shook his head. "I don't think they can hear us. We've been talking about them and they haven't said anything." 

Imoen bit her lip, thinking. "Well, we must find a way to let them know we can hear them." 

"How can we do that if they can only see us?" he asked. He paused and made a face. "That's kinda... creepy when you think about it, them being able to see us." He wondered if they'd seen the intimate moment he and Imoen shared on Alderaan. 

* * * * * * 

"Well, how do we get them back?" Buffy turned to Zahn. "You're the expert, Cyril." 

Zahn cleared his throat. This whole situation had taken a turn for the ridiculous once Buffy said the two kids were in the _Star Wars_ universe. Still, wherever they were, they needed to get back to.. Earth. 

"I don't know," he told her. "If there is another spell, I sure don't have it. If there ever _was_ another spell," he grimly added. 

Buffy gritted her teeth. "Wonderful," she muttered. "We can only get reception on this stinkin' thing. Now we don't know if we can even get them back!" 

"If they performed the spell on their side, they could get back," Giles said. 

Zahn shook his head as he paced back and forth. "It would be a good idea, except for one thing, Rupert," he replied. "They don't have a crystal." 

Giles winced. Even as the words left Cyril's mouth, Giles knew how stupid his suggestion sounded. "True," he conceded quietly. 

"Giles!" Buffy grabbed his arm and directed his attention to the portal. "Look!" 

Zahn looked to the portal as well. "What the hell?" he said. "Have they lost it?" 

On the other side of the portal window, Xander and Imoen madly waved their arms above their heads as they walked around the small room. Their mouths moved like they were calling out something. 

"What are they doing?" Giles wondered as he leaned closer. 

Imoen and Xander paused in their actions. 

"What's with those two?" Buffy came closer. "Are they in trouble?" 

Xander wildly shook his head. He mouthed something that Buffy couldn't make out but the last word was distinctly her name. 

"Xander, can you hear us?" Buffy asked in a low voice. 

Xander's face broke into a joyous grin as he nodded. He said something else. 

"C-can they hear us?" Giles looked to Buffy. 

"I'd say so," she answered pointing to the portal. 

Xander jumped up and down in glee then he whirled Imoen around with him. 

"You guys ok?" Buffy asked. 

Xander let go of Imoen and looked around. He nodded and said something. 

"Xander, we can't hear you," Giles said. "We can only see you both." 

* * * * * * 

Xander sighed. "We know that, Giles," he said. 

"We've been worried sick about you," Giles' voice went on. He then proceeded to lay out everything that had happened on their end since they'd stormed the old costume shop. "Cyril isn't sure how to get you back. If... we can get you back." 

"Oh, no," Imoen sighed. She looked to Xander, sympathetic when she saw the hurt look on his face. She put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get back, Xander. Mr. Giles is very wise, he's helped us out of tight situations before." 

"Where are you going, Xander?" Buffy's voice asked. "Is it some place where you'll be safe?" 

Xander nodded in reply to Buffy's question. 

"Nobody's, like, trying to kill you or anything, are they, Xander?" asked Buffy. 

Both Imoen and Xander shook their heads. 

* * * * * * 

"Okay, they're safe for now," Buffy said as she looked to Zahn. "Have you any ideas on how to get them back? No matter how stupid?" 

Zahn nodded. "Yes, and none of us will like it," he answered. "Ethan. He has the power to open the portal while Willow only has enough skill to achieve what we have here." 

"Yeah, real stupid idea," Buffy agreed. 

"But our only option," Giles said. 

Behind them, the portal faded out. 

Willow let go of the crystal and it dropped onto the table. She blinked a few times and rubbed her forehead with her fingers. "I'm sorry," she apologized, looking to them. "It was starting to hurt to keep that window open. I had to stop." 

"It's all right," Buffy assured her. "You did great. We know Xander and Imoen are okay and where they are." 

Willow still felt guilty for not trying harder. "I didn't have such a hard time keeping the window open this time," she said. 

"Perhaps the crystal is adjusting itself to your magick level," Zahn said. He shrugged. 

"Well... what do we do now?" Buffy asked. "Who knows where Ethan Rayne is!" 

"There _is_ someone who may know where Ethan is," Giles said. He looked at Buffy and Zahn. "Willie." 

"Of course!" Buffy exclaimed. She threw her hands up in the air. "Willie! That's who helped Ethan set us up! That little weasel, I should tear his limbs off." She growled in anger. "Oh, that just makes me... Grrr! After all the stuff I've done for him, he does this." 

"I have an idea on how to deal with Willie," Giles said. "It doesn't.. uh... require you tearing any limbs off, Buffy." 

Buffy scowled as she folded her arms across her chest. "Damn," she muttered. 

* * * * * * 

Coruscant 

Xander paced around, whistling nervously as he waited for the ramp to drop down. His trip to Coruscant had been much more pleasant than the one to Alderaan, that much was certain. But what awaited him at the bottom of that ramp... Well, he'd take space sickness over coming face to face with _that_ anyday. Unfortunately, he had no choice. He'd been invited. And it was bad form to duck your host. Even if he happened to be Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. 

Imoen kneaded her hands together, equally nervous about this meeting with Palpatine. This man... the man her people trusted, he was destined to destroy it all. And she had to walk down that ramp and treat him as if nothing was wrong. 

She looked to Xander, who was still pacing. "Xander, are you going to make it through this?" she asked. 

Xander froze in his tracks, looking over to her. "Oh... uh..." He shrugged as he let out a tight laugh. "I really don't know.. you know? I'm not really prepped for this. The guy's a -" He lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "He's a _Sith Lord_. What if he starts probing minds and stuff? We're screwed. We may as well throw in the towel." 

Imoen put her hands on Xander's shoulders. "Just... relax," she said in a soothing voice. She smiled a little when she felt him ease under her touch. "Breathe, and think about how pleasant Coruscant is, Xander. Think only of the beauty, the good." 

Xander drew in a few breaths, calming himself down. He nodded. "Yeah, I think it's working," he told her. 

Her hands slowly slid up to his face. She clasped his face gently between her hands, meeting his gaze. "You'll be just fine, Xander," she said, her voice very soft. "Let Palpatine do all the talking, nod and go on. He'll only want to do his politicking then he'll leave us alone." 

Xander nodded once more. He wasn't sure what Imoen was saying, he was lost in her pretty brown eyes. He took her hands in his, then pulled her closer to him. "I'm fine now," he said evenly. A hand slipped around Imoen's back as he smiled. "I'm _much_ better." 

"Xander," Imoen hissed as he tried to kiss her. She pushed him back the best she could. "We haven't time for this. The Chancellor is waiting. It's impolite to monopolize him." It's not that she didn't want Xander, but she wanted to get this thing with Palpatine over as fast as possible. 

Xander saw Imoen was serious about this, so he let go of her hands. "I'm sorry, you're right," he apologized. "We should go." 

Imoen turned away from Xander, her attention focusing on the ramp leading down to Coruscant and Palpatine. She said a silent prayer to every god in the ancient Naboo pantheon that she'd be able to hold herself together through it. She began to walk. 

Xander took two steps down the ramp before his fear rushed back to him. His eyes locked on Palpatine, dressed almost exactly as he was in _Episode One_, standing on the senate landing platform flanked by several guards. The Chancellor wore a pleasant, warm smile when he saw his two guests finally disembarking the Nubian. Xander stopped dead in his tracks. 

Imoen made it to the end of the ramp, stopping when she saw the look on Palpatine's face. A confused look. She turned around to see Xander still on the ramp. He stared past her, his unblinking eyes on Palpatine. 

"Xander," she sharply hissed. 

Xander nodded briefly, letting her know he'd heard her. He drew in a breath and muttered the words to a song under his breath as he continued down onto the landing platform. 

"...if you steal my sunshine...la la la." He kept his mind focused on that annoyingly catchy tune. Anything to keep him from thinking about the man before him. Mentally, he played the song over and over, gaining more confidence with each step he took. 

"What's the matter with you?" Imoen asked in a whisper as Xander reached her. "You need to relax. As Buffy says, it's no big." She interlocked his arm with Xander's and turned back to Palpatine who approached them. 

"Greetings to you both," Palpatine said as he came to a stop in front of Xander and Imoen. He regarded them closely, noting the tenseness about them. He focused on Xander. "You are Master Harris, the envoy from the Earth planet? I bid you a warm welcome to Coruscant on behalf on the entire Senate." 

Imoen elbowed Xander a little when Xander just stared back at him. "I'm quite certain the Ambassador from Earth thanks you, Chancellor," she said to Palpatine when it was apparent Xander wasn't going to speak. She laughed nervously. "I must apologize for Master Harris' behavior. Hyperspace travel is a new experience for him and he's not yet adjusted ." 

Palpatine nodded. "Ahh," he said. He looked from the young handmaiden of Amidala's to Xander. Still, something wasn't right with the young Earth man. Something behind the eyes... 

"I understand completely, Ambassador," he said to Xander. "I'm sorry your journey was not a pleasant one. Perhaps you would like to go directly to the rooms I've had prepared for you?" 

Xander's eyes followed Palpatine's hand that made a sweeping motion to an awaiting air taxi. "Yes," he managed to reply as he looked to Palpatine. "I would... um... like that very much... indeed." He tried his best to sound like Giles, but he was coming off more like an idiot. 

Palpatine gave a brief smile when Xander accepted the offer. "Very well then," he said. Followed by the guards, Palpatine, Xander and Imoen headed for the air taxi. "I was expecting your arrival much sooner, but Queen Amidala informed me you made a stop over on Alderaan? Quite a lovely planet." 

Xander glanced at Imoen who nodded for him to respond to Palpatine. "Yes... uh, it was quite... lovely," he answered. He coughed. "Interesting architecture there. Nothing like I've seen in the real- er... um.. on _Earth_." 

"Really?" Palpatine asked, looking over to Xander. "I'm rather curious about your planet, Ambassador Harris. I've.. never heard of the world until the young Earth woman arrived. The mistress Buffy Summers." He smiled with pride. "She is a hero to the people of Naboo, and it is a great honor to have a friend of a planetary hero as a guest." 

"Yeah... uh, thanks," Xander hesitantly replied. He jerked when he felt Imoen thump him in the arm. "Ow," he muttered. 

Palpatine, however, didn't notice. "She foiled that assassination attempt on Queen Amidala," he was saying as they neared the air taxi. He frowned, shivering slightly. "Who knows what would've happened if the fiend had succeeded in his task?" 

"Things would've turned out a lot differently for yo--OW!" Xander grasped his side where Imoen had pinched him hard. He winced as he met her gaze. Her eyes were clearly saying, "What is wrong with you? Keep your mouth shut!". He rubbed his side lightly as he looked back to Palpatine. 

The Chancellor watched the two of them, puzzled, yet suspicious. "Turned out differently for me... how?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the boy. 

Oh... crap, Xander thought as a panic washed over him. Way to go, Harris! Way to keep your friggin' trap shut! Think.. think... 

"Oh... I meant you as in the entire people of Naboo," Xander replied to Palpatine after a moment. "Not _you_ personally, Chancellor." He laughed. "If the Queen had been assassinated, well, you and I probably wouldn't be standing here talking." Not that I have a problem with that, really, he added in his mind. "So much would've changed if that Sith guy had killed her." 

Imoen flinched. She didn't like the aloof way Xander talked about someone murdering Amidala. "But," she cut into the conversation. "Mistress Buffy was there, and we thank the Force every day for that. She saved our Queen, and saved our future." They stopped at the air taxi. "It's not something we should dwell on, if you do not mind my saying, Chancellor." 

Palpatine dismissed it with a gesture of his hand. "Of course," he agreed. "Such an awful idea to entertain. Perish the thought." 

Once they were inside the taxi, Palpatine continued to talk to Xander. The boy didn't give up much information about himself or his homeworld. 

"And to ensure that nothing of the sort befalls our honored guest and Ambassador of Earth, I've asked the Jedi Council to assign a guard for you while you're on Coruscant, Master Harris." 

"Oh, really?" Xander glanced at Imoen in the seat beside him. "Who would that be?" 

"Someone you know," Palpatine replied. "Jedi Knight Kenobi and his young student, Anakin Skywalker are to join you a little later." 

Imoen gasped, louder than she'd meant to. Her hand tightened on Xander's at the mention of Anakin Skywalker's name. She looked at Xander, hope renewed. If she could speak with the boy... 

"Is something the matter?" Palpatine inquired when he saw how Imoen reacted to the news. 

"Oh... no," Imoen said in a soft voice. She shook her head. "Nothing at all, Chancellor." 

Palpatine nodded, but never took his eyes off the handmaiden. "I do hope you'll excuse me for the rest of the day, Ambassador," he said to Xander. "My duties as Chancellor demand much of my attention this afternoon. Feel free to take in all the sights of Coruscant, however." 

Xander shrugged. "Oh, yeah, I completely understand," he said to Palpatine. "I'm an important person on my planet, too. Really, I don't know how they'll get along without me telling them what to do and settling petty disputes." He laughed. "If not for my superior organizational and leadership skills, the place would be in a shambles." 

Imoen stared at Xander, half-shocked and half-puzzled. What was he telling Palpatine a lie like that for? 

"I do not believe it would go that far, Ambassador," she said, trying to smile at Xander. "You do over-exaggerate your position among your people, and your part in their daily lives." 

"Dear Imoen," Xander said in a condescending tone as he patted her hand. "You didn't spend a long time on my planet, so you don't know how valuable my services are." He smiled at her then looked over to Palpatine. "What does a simple handmaiden know of the burdens we bear, ay, Chancellor?" 

Imoen blinked, surprised by Xander's actions. What'd gotten into him? Why was he acting like such a callous creep? This Ambassador charade must've gone straight to his head. 

She flicked her gaze over to Palpatine. The Chancellor's eyes were locked on Xander, a hint of a glare about them. Xander, however, didn't notice. He watched the buildings of Coruscant whip by the taxi window. 

* * * * * * 

Buffy kicked open the front door of Willie's Bar. As she and Giles entered, the vampire patrons growled and scrambled out of the building, using the back way. A trapdoor leading to the city's sewer system was hidden away in the backroom, Buffy knew. But slaying vamps wasn't her main concern now. 

"Hey, Willie!" she brightly greeted as she strolled over to the counter. 

Willie was frozen like a deer in headlights, his hands clasping tightly to the glass he'd been wiping down. He backed away from the counter but only hit the wall behind him, rattling the bottles stored on the shelves. 

"Buffy... hi, hey... uh, how are things?" he nervously replied. He tried to laugh, but it came out more like a squeak. Swallowing hard, he glanced back to the doorway, wondering if he could make it out before Buffy could catch him. 

"Geez, Willie, you're acting funny," Buffy went on as she leaned on the counter. "You wouldn't be afraid of me for some reason, would you?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Because you _know_ what would happen to you if you kept a secret from me, especially if the aforementioned secret harmed one of my friends." 

"I don't know what you're talking about," Willie replied, shrugging. He continued to wipe down his glass. 

"Oh, I think you do." Buffy hopped over the counter. She came closer to Willie. "So, I'm gonna give you another chance to tell me the truth, because I sort of like you. Why did you set us up?" 

Willie drew himself up, indignant. "I have no idea what you're talking about! I would never do something like that to you, Buffy. You know that. We're associates. You don't do things like that to associates." 

"Ethan Rayne," Giles said as he came up to the counter. Willie looked at him. "He is the one who put you up to it, Willie. We know." 

"Never!" Willie shook his head. "I don't set up friends." 

"Tell that to Angel," Buffy snapped. She grabbed Willie by the collar of the shirt and shoved him against the shelves. "You're a low-crawling scumbag most of the time, Willie. You do whatever you can to help yourself. But two of my best friends are in trouble, and that kind of pisses me off. You know how I get when I'm pissed off, right, Willie?" 

Willie looked past Buffy to Giles, but the Watcher wasn't about to lift a finger to help him. He sighed as he lowered his gaze to the floor. "Yeah... it was that guy, Rayne," he quietly replied. "He came to me a few days ago, offered me a large sum of money to help him out. And, so I figure, why not?" 

Buffy's eyes flashed but she kept her cool. "And exactly what did he want?" 

"Told me to feed you guys that information about him being in that old costume shop," Willie continued. He looked up to Buffy. "He never let me know what his plans were other than that. I'm telling you the truth," he added when he saw the look on Buffy's face. "I didn't think he was gonna do anything terrible... And he offered me a _lot_ of money. Money I never got." He scowled. 

"Xander and Imoen were transported to an alternate universe," Giles said to Willie. "They're trapped there, and we've done all we can... to get them back. To put it bluntly, we need Ethan to bring them back." 

Willie glanced from Buffy to Giles. "And what's that gotta do with me?" 

"_You're_ gonna be the lure," Buffy growled, shoving Willie against the wall. "You're gonna call him up and tell him the same thing. You have important information for him, and you need to meet with him right away. You got all that?" 

Willie nodded. "Yeah. But what do I get out of it?" 

Buffy tightened her grip on Willie's shirt. "You get to keep your teeth in your mouth." 

"Why am I not surprised?" he said then sighed. 

----- 

About an half an hour later, the door to Willie's place opened once more. But this time, Ethan Rayne entered the bar. He gave the dive a cursory examination then headed further inside. If that Willie didn't have something extremely important for him, Ethan resolved to turn the weasel into just that - a weasel. 

Willie hesitantly came out of the backroom. He gave a quick glance over his shoulder, then continued to move when Buffy motioned for him to go. "You made it," he said to Ethan as he approached the other man. He tried his best to smile. 

"Let's skip the pleasantries," Ethan impatiently replied. "What is so bloody important you couldn't have told me over the phone? Mind you, if I don't believe it's important enough, you'll be sorry." 

Willie swallowed hard. "It's about the Slayer and her Watcher," he said. "Word on the street is, they're looking for you. Something about a crystal... not too happy about it." 

Ethan smiled, pleased. "Oh... really?" He chuckled. "Charming, that is." 

"Glad you think so," Buffy's voice said from behind Ethan. 

Ethan's smile faded when he saw Giles step out from the backroom, a stern expression on his face. He stumbled forward when Buffy gave him a shove into the counter. "Oof!" He coughed as he clutched his gut where he'd hit the counter then looked up to Willie. "A double cross... I never thought you'd have the courage." 

Buffy whirled Ethan around to face her as Giles came up by her. "Shut up," she snapped. 

Ethan held up his hands. "Oh.. you've caught me fair and square," he innocently told her. He grinned at Giles. "Just like the new Ripper... fair and square, right?" He enjoyed that flash in Giles' eyes at the mention of Ripper, a nickname from days gone by. "I surrender myself to you both." 

"Is this some kind of trick?" Buffy asked Giles, giving him a side glance. 

"No trick at all!" Ethan held out his hands to Buffy. "Put the cuffs on, you've got me. What, don't you trust me, Rupert?" he asked of Giles. 

Without a word, Giles stepped up to Ethan and punched him square in the jaw with a wicked right cross. He shook his hand as he watched Ethan double over, grasping his jaw in pain. "Quite frankly, I don't," he answered. He nodded to Buffy. "Let's get back to the library. We need to do this as quickly as possible." 

Buffy grabbed Ethan by the shirt and pulled him up. She clicked her tongue when she saw Giles had busted Ethan's lip open. "I'm sorry," she said, frowning. "Sorry I wasn't the one who got to do it. Move it, jerkwad." 

* * * * * * 

"Oh... _man_! This is... this is awesome!" Xander's mouth dropped open as he took in the massive room he'd been assigned while he stayed on Coruscant. He walked around, touching the furniture, shaking his head in wonder. "Just like the movie!" He coughed when he saw the odd looks on the faces of the guards who had escorted Xander inside. "Uh... I guess it'll do," he said as he put Ambassador airs back on. 

"Do you require anything else, Ambassador Harris?" one of the guards asked. 

Xander didn't hear the question. He was too enthralled by the amazing view from his window. The afternoon sun hung mid-way in the Coruscant sky, making the city-planet below create a silver gleam. The steady stream of air taxis and various other vehicles whipped by. 

"Ambassador?" asked the second guard. When Xander finally turned around, he said, "May we do anything else for you, sir, before we leave?" 

"Me?" He pointed to himself then shook his head. "Oh, no. I'm very cool." The guards began to leave, but as a quick afterthought, Xander called, "Hey... um.. there is something you can do for me!" 

"Yes, Ambassador?" the first guard replied as the two of them turned around. 

Xander cleared his throat, straightening out his clothes, trying to act more Ambassador-ish. "Could you tell the handmaiden, Imoen, I wish to see her?" he said. Yeah, that sounds good, he thought. 

"Of course, Ambassador," the first guard pleasantly answered. "We shall send for her immediately." 

"Good, good," Xander said, nodding. He waved a hand to dismiss the guards. "You may go now." The guards followed his instructions. He grinned when he was all alone in his beautiful room. "I could get to like this!" He strolled over to his couch. "'Yes, Ambassador Harris. Right away, Ambassador Harris. What else do you require, Ambassador Harris?' Yeah.. yeah." 

He leaned over, pushing on the couch, checking out how soft it was. Judging it would be comfortable, Xander flopped down on it, lying on his back. He placed his hands behind his head and stared out the large window at his fabulous view. 

Coruscant was everything and much more than in the movie. More breathtaking than any CGI image that graced the screen. And the apartment Palpatine had set him up in wasn't half bad. Considering how lame his own home was, this place was a friggin' palace in itself. Pretty much nothing on Earth could compare to his new surroundings. Any previous homesickness Xander felt melted away as he snuggled into the couch. 

Ambassador of Earth, he thought, a smile creeping to his lips. Ambassador Xander Harris. Such a groovy ring to it. 

A strange little chirping noise interrupted Xander's relaxation and reflection. He half-sat up on the couch, his eyes looking in the direction of the door where the chirp had come from. He got up when the chirp repeated. 

"Doorbell," he mumbled as he made his way over to the door. He stared at the panel beside the door for a moment, then picked a button. "This one looks good." He pushed it and the door whooshed open, revealing Imoen. "Oh.. hey!" He smiled at her. 

Imoen had changed out of her traveling clothes and into something more fitting a young woman accompanying an ambassador on a visit to Coruscant. Xander found the lovely form fitting white dress reminiscent of the outfit Amidala wore at the end of *TPM*, but without the big Chinese fan thing on the back. 

"You _sent_ for me... Ambassador?" Imoen stiffly greeted, her eyes narrowing slightly at him. Her head tilted to the left as she awaited his response. 

"Yeah, I did," Xander replied, still smiling at her. "That's a _very_ pretty dress," he complimented her as he motioned for her to come inside. He watched her walk into his room, but jumped ever so slightly when the door hissed shut. "You got here fast." 

Imoen folded her arms across her chest. "It's impolite to keep a foreign dignitary waiting when he _sends_ for you, Ambassador," she flatly replied. She glanced over her shoulder at him. "If you do not mind my asking, why did you wish to speak with me?" 

Xander shrugged as he walked back over to his couch. "No real reason," he non-chalantly replied then he flopped down on the couch, getting back into his relaxed form. "These are real nice digs old Palpatine gave us, aren't they?" He turned his head to look at her. "Is your room as cool as this? Maybe since I'm the ambassador and all, they gave me a better room." 

"I haven't paid much attention to my room," Imoen evenly replied. She smirked a little at Xander lying on his couch. "I'm pleased you've been able to make yourself feel quite at home. At least someone is enjoying this visit to Coruscant." 

"Funny, you know? I thought I wasn't going to like it here." He grinned as he focused his attention on the view. 

"Hmph." Imoen let her arms drop to her sides as she strolled across the room to the glass door leading to the outside balcony of Xander's room. The door quietly opened for her and she stepped outside. A bit of a chill in the air on Coruscant, but that didn't matter to her. She had to get out of that stuffy little room. 

"Buffy?" she hesitantly whispered, looking up to the sky. She sighed, wondering if they were watching. No reply. Guess not. "I miss you all," she went on as she rubbed her arms with her hands. "I want to go back to your world." 

As much as she'd missed Naboo while on Earth - in the real world -, since leaving Alderaan, the only thing she could think of was going back there. Imperfect as the place was, at least it's future wasn't written on celluloid. 

Anakin Skywalker. 

The name chilled her to the core now. That sweet, innocent little child she'd known on Naboo was destined to destroy it all. Unless, of course, she could do something about it. But what could she do? Only theories of how Anakin went from a great Jedi Knight to the murderous scourge of the galaxy existed. Without knowing what triggered it, what could she say to him to prevent it? 

"You know what this place reminds me of?" Xander's voice snapped Imoen out of her thoughts. He stepped up to the balcony railing, placing his hands on it as he looked out at the passing vehicles. 

Imoen sniffled, dabbing away tears that she hadn't noticed well up in her eyes. "No, Xander," she softly said. "What?" 

"_The Fifth Element_," he replied. He motioned to the traffic. "I mean, all we need is Milla Jovovich falling from a building and Bruce Willis driving by in his taxi to catch her." He leaned over the rail, trying to get a better look at the ground far below them. "Wow... that's a looooong way down. Whoa!" 

"Xander!" Imoen grabbed a hold of his arm, yanking him back up to his feet before he toppled over the railing. "Are you all right? Xander?" 

Xander managed to nod while he let out a relieved breath. "Uh... yeah. Yeah, it's fine, I'm fine. We're all fine here," he said. He looked at her. "Thanks. Didn't notice how far I was leaning until it was too late. If not for you, I'd be a grease spot on one of these fancy Coruscant streets." 

Imoen smiled. "It's all in the reflexes," she said, quoting what Buffy had said to Amidala when Buffy had foiled Saar's attempt on the Queen's life. "You're certain you're all right?" 

"I'm certain," he assured her as he brushed off his clothes. He smiled at her as he took a few steps closer to Imoen. "Methinks the pretty handmaiden deserves a reward for saving the Ambassador's life." He put his arms around her waist. 

"Xander," Imoen started as she tried to back away from him. She didn't get far, his grip was too good. "What's wrong with you?" she demanded, looking up at him. "Why are you acting this way?" 

"Acting what way?" He pulled her closer. "I'm playing my part here." Before Imoen could utter another protest, Xander kissed her. He pulled back when he felt her struggling in his grasp. "What?" he asked. 

"Stop it this instant," Imoen ordered. She pushed at him, but he refused to let go. "Let me go, please, Xander. I wish to leave now." 

"Stop what?" he asked, confused by this sudden change in her. On Alderaan, she'd welcomed his kiss. "Why do you want to go? I don't want you to leave, I sent for you." 

Imoen slowly shook her head in disbelief at Xander's actions. "Who _are_ you?" she whispered. She gave him another shove and managed to free herself from him. "Where do you get this attitude?" 

"Excuse me? Attitude?" Xander took a step back. "What are you talking about? I only wanted to kiss you. You just saved my life." 

"And you thanked me," Imoen replied. "That's enough. I don't need a 'reward' for it. You've been acting strange ever since you started talking to Palpatine. Why did you tell him that lie about being an important person on Earth? Of all people, why should you want to try to impress... _him_? He's a... a sleazy.. Oh I can't think of a word awful enough for him." 

"Impress him? He thinks I'm an Ambassador of Earth," Xander shot back. "I have to tell him something, you know. You're the ones who appointed me to this position! What am I supposed to do, Imoen? Say, 'Yeah, Chancellor, my people appointed a loser who barely graduated from high school to be their Ambassador'?" 

"Is reality still registering with you, you're no Ambassador from Earth to anyone!" Imoen snapped. She pointed to Coruscant. "This place is not real! Now, suddenly, you've got delusions of grandeur. You're this almighty Ambassador who can... can _send_ for me. _Me_, Xander!" 

"Imoen!" Xander called as she stormed off the balcony. He chased after her. "Imoen, please, wait." He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her to a halt. "Would you wait a damn minute? I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to make you feel inferior, honestly. I got a little out of control." 

"A little?" she spat back, disgusted. She yanked her arm out of his grasp. "I'm beginning to wonder about you, Xander," she said. "When Buffy was trapped here, her only thought was to go home. That's all she wanted, all she strived for. You... " She shook her head as she looked him over in his fancy clothing. "You haven't even expressed any interest in how we're going to get home. _If_ we can get home." 

"Giles and the others will find a way," Xander said, his voice quiet, as he looked at her. "What else can I do but wait, Imoen?" He nodded to the room. "Can't I even enjoy the place while I wait?" 

Imoen had to admit he had a good point. "Fine," she shortly replied. "Enjoy yourself. Have all your fun while you're here." She narrowed her eyes on him. "But don't you _ever_ send for me again... _Ambassador_," she added in a growl. 

"Imoen," Xander protested as she headed for the door. He sighed. Stupid idiot, he scolded himself. 

Imoen slapped her open palm on the button to open the door. The door hissed open and she started out but drew in a sharp breath when she found Obi-Wan Kenobi, along with little Anakin Skywalker, standing there. 

"Oh... my," she breathed, placing a hand to her chest, trying to gather her wits. "You... you startled me." 

Xander looked up when he heard Imoen talking to someone. He saw Obi-Wan Kenobi, and a little boy the spitting image of Jake Lloyd, standing outside of his apartment. 

"I must apologize for not being here sooner," Obi-Wan said to Imoen. He froze when he saw Xander join them. "_You're_ the ambassador from Earth?" he asked, not hiding his surprise. 

Xander turned around then looked back to Obi-Wan. "You remember me?" he said, placing his hands on his chest indicating himself. 

"Of course I do," Obi-Wan replied. "You're Xander Harris, a friend of Buffy's on Earth." 

Xander and Imoen exchanged a look, then Xander said, "You remember visiting Earth?" 

Obi-Wan regarded Xander for a moment, puzzled by these inane questions. "Yes, I do. Why wouldn't I?" He glanced from Imoen back to Xander. "I was under the impression I was to be guard for an ambassador." 

"That's me," Xander said, half-raising his hand. "It's a long story and now's not the time to get into it." 

Anakin Skywalker remained silent by his teacher's side, watching the curious exchange between the adults. The ambassador from Earth was a strange sort, very jittery, but he could understand that. Someone possibly meant him harm. 

"When I was informed it was an ambassador from Earth, I assumed..." Obi-Wan's words trailed off. He gave a quick glance down at Anakin. 

"You thought it was Buffy," Imoen finished for him, smiling a little. 

Obi-Wan nodded. "Chancellor Palpatine revealed little to me about it," he went on. "The Council appointed me to this position because I have unique knowledge about Earth. And it's rather... odd customs." 

"And you're disappointed that I'm not Buffy," Xander added. One would have to be blind not to see that. 

Kenobi did not confirm or deny Xander's statement. 

"Hey... I could always insult you and it would at least remind you of Buffy," Xander told him after a short silence. 

"No, that will not be necessary," Obi-Wan replied, not amused with Xander's offer. He directed Xander's attention to the boy at his side. "I don't believe I've introduced you to my student, Anakin Skywalker." 

Xander looked down to Jake Lloyd... er.. Anakin Skywalker. He had been standing there quietly, hands clasped together in front of him, listening. 

The boy smiled and greeted him with a cheerful, "Hi!" 

Xander coughed. "Xander Harris," he said to Anakin. "Ambassador from the planet Earth." He leaned over towards the boy. "And no matter what your teacher here's told you, we're _not_ primitive!" 

"Pleased to meet you, Ambassador," Anakin politely said, his smile melting away. He'd forgotten he couldn't go around acting like a little kid anymore. He was a Jedi-in-training. They didn't act like kids. He glanced up at Obi-Wan, then said to Xander, "My Master hasn't said anything about your planet to me, Ambassador." 

"Really?" Xander looked at Obi-Wan. "I figured you'd have told everyone about our 'backward little planet'." He shrugged, but something about it bothered him. Obviously the Council knew if they appointed Obi-Wan because of his unique knowledge of Earth, but Anakin, his own student, didn't even know? Still... something was funny here. 

Anakin's eyes flicked over to Imoen and he caught the young woman staring at him. He tried to smile at her, but something about that look in her eyes stopped him. "Hello," he softly greeted her. 

"I'm quite sure you remember me, Anakin," Imoen said, her voice tight. She flexed her fingers at her sides, trying to relax. Reminding herself he was only a little child and not the monster she'd seen in the movies. "I'm Imoen." 

Anakin nodded. "Oh, yes, you're one of Amidala's handmaidens," he replied. "You're the one who disappeared." 

Imoen bit her lip. "That would be me." 

Xander clasped his hands together, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over them. "Well! Now that we're all acquainted, I think it's time we took in Coruscant. Galactic capital and everything. Should be a thrill a minute." He rubbed his palms together in anticipation. "Whaddya say?" 

Imoen shook her head. "I... I was on my way back to my room," she said, stepping away from Xander. She was reminded of why she'd been leaving Xander's apartment. And she still hadn't forgiven him for his behavior, and really didn't want to be with him. Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker's presence didn't help much either. She couldn't get those awful scenes from _A New Hope_ out of her head. 

"I don't think you should be left alone," Obi-Wan told Imoen as he shook his head. 

Imoen took another step away from them. "I'll do fine on my own," she replied, trying to keep the edge off her voice. She bowed her head slightly, pretending to be tired. "I'm rather exhausted from the journey, and would prefer to rest." 

Anakin stepped forward. "I'll stay with her... Master," he added. He kept forgetting to address Obi-Wan properly, and made a mental note to keep working on it. He looked up to Imoen. "That is, if you don't mind, Imoen?" 

Imoen's mouth opened, but no words made their way past her lips. Initially, she wanted to say no. Then it hit her this would be the perfect chance to talk to the child. "I..." she started to say, then sighed. "It's all right, I do not mind the company." 

Obi-Wan studied Imoen closely. Something was bothering her, he could sense that. And it was something about Anakin Skywalker. Still, Xander was the "Ambassador" and he wanted to see Coruscant. Imoen was a lesser figure in the situation, more than likely not a target of these... these people inquiring about Xander. 

"You mustn't leave this building, Anakin," Obi-Wan finally said. Anakin nodded earnestly. "She is your responsibility. Are you certain you can handle it?" 

"Yes, Master," Anakin firmly responded. He stood next to Imoen, standing a little taller. "I'll do my best." 

"May the Force be with you," Obi-Wan told him. He hesitated, still not certain about leaving the two of them alone. "Shall we go... Ambassador?" he asked of Xander. 

Xander nodded. "Lead on, Jedi Knight Kenobi," he said, making a sweeping motion. He watched Obi-Wan walk by him then he looked at Imoen. "He said 'May the Force be with you'," he whispered to Imoen, his eyes glittering with glee. "Wasn't that cool?" He took off after Obi-Wan, leaving Anakin and Imoen alone in the hallway. 

Anakin's shoulders slumped as soon as Obi-Wan disappeared from sight with Xander. He sighed lightly then looked up to Imoen. "Do you want to go back to your room so you can sit down?" he asked. 

Imoen's eyes drifted down to the little boy at her side. Anakin anxiously awaited her response. "Yes," she softly replied. "I would like that very much." She slowly began to walk down the hallway, Anakin matching her pace beside her. 

Anakin occasionally looked up at Imoen. The handmaiden's eyes were riveted to no particular point ahead of them. She feared him for some reason, and he didn't like it. He'd never done anything to her, why would she feel that way? He frowned. 

"If you don't mind me asking," Anakin's voice broke the eerie silence, "Where were you all those months?" 

Imoen blinked and turned her attention to Anakin. "Me?" she said. "By some strange hiccup in the Force, I was transported back to Earth with Mistress Buffy. I've been living among the Earth people ever since." The boy seemed to buy her story. 

Anakin nodded. Chancellor Palpatine had pulled him aside after he'd told Obi-Wan where the Earth Ambassador would be staying, and he asked Anakin to find out all he could about this Earth planet from it's Ambassador. In volunteering to stay with Imoen, Anakin thought for sure his chances to help the Chancellor were gone. But by some stroke of luck, it turned out Imoen had been on the mysterious planet for awhile. 

"Is it a nice planet?" he asked. If he could aid the Chancellor, maybe Palpatine would mention it to Amidala. He smiled. The idea of Amidala knowing how he'd helped Palpatine appealed to him more than _actually helping_ the Supreme Chancellor. 

Imoen nodded a little. "Yes," she replied. She glanced at Anakin. He was listening attentively. "Very diverse place, full of many different races of humans." 

"Do they have the same sorts of things there like we do here?" 

Imoen faintly smiled. "Oh, no. They're very.. primitive compared to our society," she told him. "Being regulated to one planet, they've managed to split themselves into hundreds of different little countries with different governing systems. There isn't one planetary ruler, like we have here." 

"Wow, and they can survive like that?" Anakin shook his head in wonder. The idea of a hundred different governments on one planet was wild. Imoen nodded a confirmation. "Do they get along?" 

Imoen sighed as they stopped outside of her apartment. "Sadly, no," she quietly answered. She looked down at Anakin. "Earth people do not realize how lucky they are to have so many different cultures in one place. So much to learn about one another. But some do not see it that way. Devastating wars have plagued their people for millennia." 

"Doesn't sound like a very fun planet to live on," Anakin remarked as Imoen pushed the button to open her door. They stepped inside and the door closed. 

"It's not always like that," Imoen said as she crossed the room. "The many cultures create so much beauty. The lucky ones see and embrace it." She sat down on her couch. "You would not believe how many different styles of music Earth is home to." She smiled, remembering. She sighed. "The planet has it's problems, but what planet doesn't?" 

Anakin nodded. "Yeah," he said in agreement. He wandered around the room, occasionally glancing out the huge windows at the late afternoon sky. "Do they have the Jedi there, too?" he asked her. 

"Oh... no," Imoen replied, chuckling lightly. She shook her head. "No, not there. You see, Anakin, there is no Force on Earth." 

Anakin froze in his steps and turned his stunned gaze back to her. "No Force?" he whispered. "How can there be no Force when it is everywhere?" 

"An animal, the cat, resides on Earth, and they block the Force from the people. Only one person on Earth can use it, and that is Mistress Buffy. She is a special among her people, chosen to protect them from various evils that lurk on her planet." 

Anakin sat down on the couch with Imoen. "When Obi-Wan went there... did he lose the Force, too?" he asked. 

Imoen nodded. "Yes, that he did." She couldn't help but smile. "And he did not like it." Her brow furrowed. "I cannot believe he didn't tell you about it. His trip to Earth." Imoen wondered why Obi-Wan even remembered it, when Serena had declared that it would be like he'd never left the _Star Wars_ universe. 

Anakin shrugged as he swung his legs from side to side. "Some things I don't get to know until I'm older," he said. He sighed. "Not that it's anything new. I'm getting used to it, I guess." 

"Why is that?" 

"Oh, the Jedi training," Anakin replied then heaved another sigh. "All Obi-Wan wants to do is calming exercises and focus junk. It's pretty boring. They haven't even begun to train me in fighting with one of those laser swords." He grinned. "That's what _I_ want to do. I want to learn how to use one of those so I can be a great warrior." 

Imoen winced despite the effort not to. But no malice was behind the words young Anakin spoke. 

"I'm sure the Jedi know what they are doing in regards to your training. You should heed their words," she admonished. "You need to know how to control yourself before you can move onto something like that." 

"I suppose," he said, absently. "I still want to have one though. Warriors need a weapon." 

Imoen inwardly sighed. Anakin wouldn't give up the fixation on a lightsabre. Of course, she couldn't blame him. He'd been powerless his entire life and he saw a sabre as a protection. He wanted to learn how to use one as quickly as possible to defend himself. The warrior, Anakin seemed to believe, was only as strong as his skill with a weapon. 

"You don't need a sword to be a great warrior, Anakin," she said. She met the little boy's gaze. "All of those exercises Obi-Wan is teaching you, they show you the power you have inside." 

Anakin considered Imoen's words. She probably did have a point, but she didn't really get it. He didn't have time for that kind of stuff. He needed battle training, so he could complete the mission he'd started - free his mother. 

"You can believe that all you want," he told Imoen. He shifted on the couch, looking out the window once again. "But for what I have to do... I need a sword, Imoen," he quietly added. 

Those last words caused Imoen physical pain to even hear and comprehend. She pursed her lips together, and swallowed the lump in her throat. She couldn't let herself cry again. Crying solved nothing, she'd decided on Alderaan. Her eyes settled on the small boy, just feet away from her, staring out of her window. 

Flashes of the Death Star wiping out Alderaan streamed through her mind's eye. A vision of Darth Vader, that menacing figure in black, his cape flowing behind him as he stormed the Rebel base on Hoth followed. Then the terrible, heart-wrenching lightsabre battle between Vader and Luke Skywalker on the second Death Star filled her head. So much pain, so much misery... for _every_one involved. Her world, her family, her friends... all were destined to fall by the manifestation of this little child's hate - Darth Vader. 

Or did it really have to be that way? 

She lowered her head, staring down at her own hands. Imoen turned her hands over, her gaze gliding over her palms then slowly back up to the boy before her. No, it didn't have to be that way. "Always in motion is the future", she recalled Yoda telling young Luke. Gently, Imoen got to her feet. 

Her hands shook as she approached the boy, who was still oblivious to her. 

Is it wrong? she asked herself. Is it really murder? No. All would be so much better if she did this thing. It wasn't murder to end it here and now. Just a case of killing to be kind. Yes, that was it. 

Her hands reached out for the child, but froze when she heard Anakin sniffling. 

Anakin brushed away his tears. His thoughts had been dwelling on his mother, and all else around him failed to register. He sniffled once more. 

"I... I only want to help her, Imoen," he hoarsely said, breaking the dead quiet in the room. "That's all I want... I miss my mother. Why is it so wrong to miss her? I... don't understand." 

Imoen's hands dropped back down to her sides, her eyes staring down on the crying boy. Her eyes closed as her knees buckled and she practically collapsed onto the couch. By all the gods, she thought as her eyes opened. I almost _killed_ him. She put her hands over her face, muffling her own quiet sobs. 

----- 

Xander sighed as he leaned back on the couch in the Jedi Temple. He glanced towards the door, wondering when the test results would be back. His eyes traveled around the rather plain, for the _Star Wars_ universe, room. He noticed the excessive use of windows in all the buildings on Coruscant. They liked to see out, but everything was too far away to really know what was going on. 

He tapped his toes on the floor to the beat of a pointless tune stuck in his head. He was more bored now than he was on the tour of the Jedi Temple. What a letdown that was. Xander expected it to be one of the coolest things he'd ever witnessed in his somewhat short life, but not to be. The place reminded him of a monastery in ways. 

To top it off, when Xander has asked Obi-Wan if he could see the Jedi Council, Obi-Wan responded with a firm "No". He didn't think it over at all, just "No". Even after some childish pleading, Xander couldn't get the Jedi Knight to budge. All he wanted to do was see Yoda up close. What was so wrong with that? 

Xander yawned loudly. Dark was falling on Coruscant now. Time seemed to fly by faster here than it did in the real world. He stretched his arms up above his head, and he felt his neck crack. 

"Ow," he muttered, massaging the back of his neck. He sat up when he heard the door whoosh open. Obi-Wan, followed by a dark haired girl, came out. 

"Hey... " he greeted. 

His hopes were high about the results of his midichlorian count. Curiosity had been killing him since he'd stepped foot into the Jedi Temple. This was one thing that Obi-Wan said yes to, as well. 

The dark haired girl, dressed in the clothing of a Jedi and sporting the thin braid indicating she was a Padawan, kept her head down, her nose buried in the datapad she held. She slowly shook her head, clicking her tongue. 

"Well... what is it?" Xander impatiently asked, his eyes locked on the girl. He glanced up at Obi-Wan but he offered no commentary. He scoffed a little. Since becoming a Jedi Knight, Xander figured, checking midichlorian counts was no longer among Obi-Wan's allotted duties. 

"Uh... your count was rather... odd," the girl said, still not looking up from the datapad. 

Xander beamed. "Really now? How high is it?" 

"It's fifty," the girl answered looking up to Xander. 

"Fifty? Is that good?" 

The girl exchanged a look with Obi-Wan. "Let's put it this way," she said to Xander. "There are bantha with higher midichlorian counts than you." 

Xander's hopes were dashed. His shoulders slumped as he frowned. He wasn't Force-sensitive. Even in the _Star Wars_ universe he was a nobody. Well, except for the Ambassador thing, but that wasn't even the truth. He looked back to the girl, realizing something about her. 

"Don't I know you?" 

The girl shook her head. "No," she answered. "I would remember someone with such a... pathetic midichlorian count." 

Xander didn't let it show how much that comment stung. Looked like Faith, and even acted like Faith. 

"Can we go back now?" he asked as he looked to Obi-Wan. "I think I've had just about as much Jedi fun as I can take." 

----- 

"Fifty..." Xander grumbled as he and Obi-Wan entered the building in which he and Imoen were staying. He shook his head. "I can't even begin to say how lame that is... Just figures." He looked over at Obi-Wan. "I bet Buffy's midichlorians were off the scale. Miss _Chosen One_." 

"You shouldn't let it bother you," Obi-Wan replied. "Something different is in store for you." 

"Not on Earth," Xander said. "And I'm even a mass loser here. I mean, _bantha_ have higher midichlorian counts than I do?" He sighed, disgusted. 

"Usko's comment was out of line," Obi-Wan told Xander. He made it a note to speak with her about it in the future. 

"I guess I need to get used to the fact that I fail to appear on anyone's radar," Xander grumbled as he and Obi-Wan entered the building. 

Obi-Wan started to reply but froze in his steps when he sensed something... sinister lurking nearby. Somebody was... Then it came. From somewhere ahead of them was the sound of a blaster firing. With blinding speed, Obi-Wan drew his sabre, ignited it and deflected the two blaster bolts headed straight for Xander. 

Xander stared at the glowing blue blade for a few moments. Then he remembered to breathe. What the heck was that?? He could've sworn they were blaster bolts, but who would be shooting at them? Better yet... why? 

"Whoever it was, he is gone now," Obi-Wan said as he shut down his sabre. He looked over to Xander, noticing the boy had gone completely pale. "Seems as though you've... appeared on someone's radar, Ambassador." 

"That's not exactly what I meant when I made that remark," Xander said. He clasped his hands together to keep them from shaking. "I don't particularly like people trying to kill me." 

"He wasn't trying to kill you," Obi-Wan stated. "Someone was giving you a warning." 

"A warning? But for what? What did I do?" 

"Someone does not care for the Ambassador of Earth for some reason." He hooked his lightsabre hilt back to his belt. "Supreme Chancellor Palpatine's suggestion that you have a bodyguard was intuitive." 

Xander nodded. "Yeah, it--" He stopped mid-sentence, recalling something Palpatine had said to him back in the air taxi when Xander asked who the Council had appointed to guard him. 

"Someone you know," Palpatine had replied. 

If Obi-Wan never told anyone outside of the Council of his Earth trip, how did Palpatine know Xander had met Kenobi? Well, Sith Masters could find out whatever they wanted, he figured. 

His heart skipped a beat when something else hit him: Palpatine was after him. This whole bodyguard thing was a clever trick on Palpatine's part to direct suspicion away from him. 

"Oh.. man, I have to get out of here," he said to Obi-Wan. "No offense, but this world has lost the magic with me." He paused, his eyes widening. "Imoen! What if -?" He broke into a run, headed for Imoen's apartment. 

* * * * * * 

Library 

"Sit down," Buffy snapped, shoving Ethan down into the chair at the table. She narrowed her eyes on him. "Don't move, or I'll let Giles smack you around again." 

Ethan smiled at the Slayer. "And I do know how much Rupert would like to," he said, looking over to Giles. He laughed lightly. 

Zahn came out of Giles' office, along with Willow. He stopped when he saw Ethan sitting at the table, reclined in the chair like he hadn't a care in the world. The widening of the evil grin on Rayne's face told Zahn Ethan remembered who he was. 

"Well, well... the gang's all here," Ethan said. "I can honestly say I'm quite surprised to see you here, Cyril." He picked up the legal pad Zahn used to scribble notes on and gave it the once over. "Hadn't pegged old Ripper to figure it all out." 

He tapped the paper with his finger as he looked back to Zahn. "Interesting theory here. But mixing the spell I used with this one -" He drew in a sharp breath, still grinning. "Let us say the results are... undesirable." 

"If you don't shut your trap and reopen that portal, the result is gonna be undesirable.. for you." Buffy snatched the legal pad from Ethan's hands and gave it back to Cyril. "Are you comprehending this?" 

"Buffy," Giles said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. He nodded for her to step away from Ethan. He focused his attention on Ethan. "Will you reopen the portal, Ethan?" 

Ethan stared at Giles then switched his gaze over to Zahn. "I bet you're wondering where I found that bit of crystal, ay, Cyril?" he asked. "You do have the crystal, am I right?" 

Cyril held it up for Ethan to see. "Yes, we do," he evenly said. He kept his eyes locked with Ethan's, not letting the man intimidate him. "And it will stay that way, Ethan." He paused, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Where _did_ you find it?" 

"Homeless man living on the streets of Prague," Ethan replied. "People believed he was crazy, but not so. Claimed to be a direct descendant of ancient Atlantean priests." He laughed, recalling the light in the old man's eyes when the man told Ethan the story. "Had a magick crystal to prove it. Magick it was... so I... relieved him of it." 

"How did you find out about the spell?" Willow asked. "Did that old man tell you about that, too?" 

Ethan placed a finger to his lips. "A good wizard never reveals his secrets," he told her, a diabolic glimmer in his eyes. "Blabbering your sources isn't good business sense, young lady. You should heed that advice for the future. Your elders know best." He looked up to Giles. "Isn't that right... Ripper?" 

Buffy grabbed Ethan by the shirt, half pulling up from the chair as she drew back a fist. "Come on, Giles, let me just pop him one. Please? I'm down to my last nerve and he's dancing on it." 

"Violent girl," Ethan said, looking up at Buffy. He showed no fear of the Slayer's desire to harm him. "She becomes more and more like you every time I see her, Rupert." 

"Let him go," Giles said, waving a hand slightly at Buffy. When Buffy reluctantly let him go, Giles went on. "You will do the spell and bring Xander and Imoen back from the universe they are in, Ethan. I ask you to do it this once, but the next time...." He let the sentence hang. 

Ethan pretended to think it over and finally said, "Of course I'll re-open the portal, Rupert. But... before I do, there is one important question I require an answer for." He paused then a beat later, continued, "Which child would you most like me to bring back?" 

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked. She approached Ethan. "What kind of question is that?" 

"A pertinent one, if I do say so myself," Ethan answered. He smiled at Giles. "And I'll need to know which one you want back." He noted the expressions on the faces of everyone else in the room. "Oh... didn't you know? Retrieving people from alternate dimensions and what have you is much more difficult than sending them. My power cannot effectively reach into another dimension to bring back both of them. I'll be bloody lucky to get one." 

Giles, letting his cool and calm slip away from him again, seized Ethan by the shirt. "You _knew_ about this the entire time, didn't you?" 

"Why, of course I did, Rupert. Why else would I allow you to 'capture' me?" Ethan wickedly grinned. "And I'm rather glad I did. The look on your face right now is well worth it." He removed Giles' hand from his shirt. "I demand more respect from you, or I shan't bring either one back." 

"That's it! Just let me rip his arms off, Giles!" Buffy started to go after Ethan but Willow held her back. 

Ethan laughed, amused by the entire situation. In retrospect, sending the two kids to another dimension proved much more entertaining than his original plan. Watching Giles squirm underneath all the pressure was quite fun. 

"Maybe if I help, there'll be enough power to bring them both back?" Willow hopefully suggested. 

She looked to Ethan. "I've been able to make a connection to the universe Xander and Imoen are trapped in," she said. "But I'm nowhere near powerful enough to to fully open a portal. I mean, the Atlantean priests combined their strength to open up a huge portal. You think it -" 

"You're a child in life and in the world of magick," Ethan interrupted. "You'll never be able to handle a trans-dimensional gateway." He waved a hand at Willow, as if shoo-ing her away. "That much power coursing through you... " He paused. "...you'd most likely die. So... I wouldn't recommend it." 

"Why, you -" Buffy tried to go after Ethan but Willow pulled on her arm. 

"He's not worth it, Buffy," Zahn said, helping Willow hold the Slayer back. "Is that the only option you're giving us, Ethan? To choose between these two kids?" 

Ethan nodded. "Yes, I'd say so." He flicked his gaze to Giles. "So... Rupert... what is your answer?" he casually asked. 

Giles looked over to Willow, who still held Buffy back. How could he possibly make a choice like that? He didn't have the right, he concluded. The matter had to be brought up to Imoen and Xander beforehand. They deserved to know the situation, at least. 

"Willow... do you think you can bring up the window again?" he softly asked. 

Willow let go of Buffy. "Yes, I'm pretty sure I can. Why, Giles?" 

"We need to talk to Xander and Imoen before this decision is made," Giles answered. "It concerns them the most, and they should be the ones to make it." 

"This is crap, Giles!" Buffy declared. She pointed to Ethan. "He's gotta be lying! He can bring them both back, he's just jerking us around." 

Ethan shrugged. "Maybe I'm lying...." He locked gazes with Buffy then added, "And maybe I'm not. Look at it this way, Slayer... You can have one of your little friends back, or neither." 

Willow turned to Zahn, holding out her hand. "I'll need to use your crystal thingy again," she told him. 

Zahn gave Ethan a pointed glare before placing the crystal in Willow's open palm. "Be careful, Willow," he said as she closed her hand around the now glowing crystal. 

Willow sat down at the table across from Ethan. She narrowed her eyes at him when he watched her prepare to work the spell. After clearing her throat, she began to chant the incantation to open the portal... 

* * * * * * 

Xander came to a halt at Imoen's apartment door, breathing hard. He pounded his palms on the door. "Imoen!" he frantically called. But no answer came. 

Obi-Wan joined him. "I tried to tell you -" he started to say to Xander. 

"Shut up!" Xander snapped, glaring over his shoulder at Obi-Wan. He turned back to the door and found the outside panel. He pushed the button to see if the door was secured. A terrifying chill went through him as the door slid open. "Imoen?" 

Xander, followed by Obi-Wan, entered the darkened apartment. He didn't see anyone right off. His eyes scanned the room, gazing out at the sparkling city visible from Imoen's windows. He held up a hand, stopping Obi-Wan from advancing any further when he heard a familiar little tune. The Lament of Varda. On the table in front of the couch, the little music-egg he'd given Imoen was activated, it's tune playing and hologram endlessly turning. 

"Imoen?" he asked as he neared the couch. 

"Xander?" Imoen rubbed her eyes as she sat up straight, looking over her shoulder to him. She blinked then stifled a yawn. "What are you doing here?" she asked. 

"Thank God you're all right!" Xander happily declared. 

"Shhh!" Imoen placed a finger to her lips, violently shushing him. "Keep your voice down, Xander," she whispered. She motioned to the couch beside her. "You'll wake Anakin." 

Xander looked down. Anakin Skywalker lay on the couch, fast asleep. The boy shifted on the couch, tucking himself up in a ball as he shivered. His gaze drifted back up to Imoen. 

"He tried so very hard to stay awake," Imoen commented as she gently got up from the couch, careful not to disturb the boy. She leaned over to the music-egg, flicked it off then stood straight. "What brings you here? And in such a frantic state, Xander?" 

"Someone made an attempt on his life a few moments ago," Obi-Wan told her. "We were concerned for your welfare..." 

Imoen gasped quietly. "Oh... my," she whispered. "Xander, are you all right?" She came closer to him, looking him over for any wounds or injuries. 

"Yeah, I'm all in one piece. Luckily," Xander said, nodding. He shuddered. "If old Obi-Wan hadn't had my back... well, I'd rather not think about that, if you don't mind? And I want to get out of here ASAP! I was liking this place up until then. An assassination attempt really knocks off stars for a place in _my_ guide book review." 

"We surely cannot return to Naboo," Imoen replied, shaking her head. She felt a jab of emotional pain when mentioning her homeworld. "Alderaan is not an option, either." She paused, giving the matter some thought. "Corellia, however... " 

"How about Tatooine? I hear that's a real good place to go if you don't want to be found by people trying to murder you," Xander suggested. He saw the look Imoen gave him. "Or Corellia's good." 

"Leaving the protection of the Jedi is probably not the best course of action," Obi-Wan said, gaining Imoen's and Xander's attention. 

"Getting far away from Pal...ar... ehhh... this place is the only plan I'm diggin' at the moment," Xander replied. "Not that I don't appreciate you doing the Jedi thing and saving my skin, don't get me wrong." 

"Xander? Imoen?" 

Xander and Imoen paused and looked around when they heard Buffy's voice say their names. The other had reestablished the window portal for some reason. To say they had figured out a way to get them home, Xander hoped. 

"What is it?" Obi-Wan noticed the sudden change in them. 

"Xander, we must speak with you and Imoen," Giles's voice added. 

Xander nodded. He understood. "I need to speak with Imoen in private," he said to Obi-Wan. 

"I wouldn't recommend you going off alone," Obi-Wan told Xander. "After that attempt on your life earlier, it isn't safe." 

"We'll be right out here," Xander replied as he directed Imoen to the door leading to the balcony. "We'll be visible at all times, ok?" The door slid open and Xander and Imoen stepped outside into the cool night air. 

"What's this all about?" Imoen wondered as the door shut behind them, leaving the two of them secluded on the balcony. 

* * * * * * 

Buffy turned around. "I can hear them this time," she said. "Do you guys?" 

Giles nodded, as did Zahn. "Did you do something different this time, Willow?" Zahn inquired. 

"No, nothing," Willow answered. She shrugged. "Every time I use this, it becomes easier to handle." Her face brightened. "I'm getting pretty good at it." 

Ethan snorted in amusement. "Really," he mumbled. 

"What's this all about?" Imoen's voice asked. Very soft and reverberating was her voice, but it could be heard. 

Buffy focused her attention back on the window and pushed on it. "Damn," she muttered. "Still solid. Xander?" she asked. 

On the other side of the portal window, Xander nodded to let Buffy know he'd heard her. 

"We're able to hear you now," Giles added as he joined Buffy. 

"Oh, that's good," Xander replied, relieved. "I didn't feel like playing Charades with Obi-Wan standing there, watching. He already thinks I'm a psycho." 

"Oh, he does not," Imoen countered. She looked around. "What is it you needed to tell us, Mr. Giles? I do hope it's good news." 

Buffy felt her heart sink and she looked to Giles. She'd known him long enough to understand that expression on his face - he couldn't bear to deliver bad news to Xander and Imoen. 

"Go on, Rupert, tell the girl," Ethan urged then chuckled. 

"Shut up," Zahn snarled. 

"Temper, temper, Cyril," Ethan warningly said. "You never used to be like this when you were younger. You were one of the responsible, goody-goody influences on Rupert, if I recall correctly. You've re-Americanized yourself, and the result isn't pleasant at all." 

"Guys, is that Ethan Rayne's voice I hear?" Xander's worried voice asked. 

"Unfortunately, yes," Buffy said as she turned back to the portal. Someone had to tell Xander and Imoen about the complicated situation. She didn't want it to be her, but no one else seemed able to say anything. "Look... Xander... we can get you back -" She saw her two friends smile. "-but there's a catch..." 

"Catch?" Imoen's face melted from joy to confusion. "What do you mean, Buffy?" 

Buffy's mouth opened to reply but the words got caught in her throat. She sighed as she looked down at the floor. 

"What she means," Giles picked up, coming forward, "Is that Ethan, the one responsible for sending you there, can bring you back..." He paused, pained to the core to say the next words. "But... only... one of you," he whispered. 

* * * * * * 

Xander stood there, stunned by what Giles had told them. Just _one_ of them? Had he heard Giles correctly? No way. He looked to Imoen. She turned away from him, then leaned forward on the balcony railing. 

"Only one?" Xander asked once he found his voice. "Why?" 

"Ethan... _claims_ his power is not great enough to reach across the dimensions to retrieve you both," Giles bitterly answered. "It is easier to cause trouble than it is to rectify it." 

Imoen buried her face in the palms of her hands. "No, this cannot be," she said, her voice muffled. "It just cannot be!" 

"I'm so very sorry," Giles, voice barely audible, added. 

* * * * * * 

"Rupert, isn't there another way?" Zahn desperately asked. He motioned to the portal. "We can't do this. We can't just leave one of them there." 

Willow glanced down at the glowing crystal in her hands. "Maybe I can do it," she hopefully said. When the others looked at her, she went on. "Like I said, the more I use this, the better I get. Maybe if I used it a lot, over time I can have a real portal ready. Then both of them can come back." 

"That could take a long time, Willow," Zahn replied. "Maybe months, possibly years." 

"It's better than relying on jerkwad here to do it," Buffy snapped, pointing to Ethan. She glared at him when she saw the grin plastered to Ethan's face. "I say we keep his magick crystal and let me kick his ass. Will can do it." 

"Folks, I feel it's time I let you in on a secret," Xander said, getting the attention of the others. "I can't stay here any longer! Someone tried to let me see what blaster bolts are like on a personal level. I know if I'm here for like months, I'll be dead. You've got to get us _both_ out of here. Now." 

"No, Xander, you have to go," Imoen said as she stood straight. She sniffled loudly, wiping her tears away from her eyes. She turned to face him. "You must go back now. I do not have to. Palpatine doesn't view me as a threat, so I can wait until Willow is able to open a portal on her own." 

"I won't leave you here all alone, Imoen," Xander firmly said. He shook his head. "I won't do it." 

"Xander, I can survive here better than you can," Imoen said as she came closer to him. She took his hands in hers. "I know this place... I belong here. And you belong back on Earth with the others. I can wait." She glanced into the apartment. Obi-Wan watched them closely. "And perhaps... I can try to make a difference while I'm here." 

Xander squeezed her hands tightly. "I won't go. Where you are, that's where I belong." 

Imoen smiled a little. She held back her tears the best she could. "The longer you stay here, the more danger you put yourself in. Palpatine will eliminate you if he feels you and Earth present a problem for his... his future plans. Go home. Go, Xander, please." 

Xander drew in a breath then slowly let it out. "I..." He couldn't find any words to express how he felt. Instead of talking, he pulled Imoen closer and planted a soft kiss on her lips. "You _will_ come back someday," he said. 

Imoen gripped Xander's hands tighter. "Yes, I know I will," she whispered. She sniffled once more then looked up. "Okay... whenever you're ready, Mr. Giles." 

* * * * * * 

"So bloody touching," Ethan sighed, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. He shook his head as he laughed. "Oh... this keeps getting better and better." 

Zahn grabbed Ethan by the shirt, pulled him up to his feet then slammed the wizard face down on the table. He pinned one of Ethan's arms behind his back, making certain he hurt him when he did so. 

"You want to see how re-Americanized I am, Ethan?" he growled, leaning over. "It's _your_ fault these kids have to do this." 

"Which makes it all the more entertaining," Ethan said. He laughed the best he could as he tried to turn his head to look at Zahn. "Really, Cyril, I would expect behavior like this from Ripper, but not you." He winced when Zahn jerked his arm. His eyes darkened as they settled on the glowing crystal in Willow's hand. "You'll be sorry for this, all of you." 

"You just remember that what goes around, comes around, Ethan." Zahn let go of him. "Now get up and bring that kid back." 

Buffy folded her arms across her chest, beaming as she looked at Giles. "Did I tell you that I _really_ like this guy?" 

Ethan stood straight, fixing his shirt. He shrugged his shoulder and rubbed the arm Zahn had pinned behind his back. "All right," he said, nodding. "I suppose I should." 

"We're gonna open the portal in a minute, Xander," Buffy said as she turned back to the portal. She frowned when she saw the way Imoen and Xander held onto one another. She hated Ethan Rayne even more now, and she didn't think it was possible to hate another being _that_ much. "You might want to get out of sight while this goes down." 

* * * * * * 

Imoen looked up at Xander. "I'll take care of Obi-Wan and Anakin, explain to them what's happened later," she said. She gazed into his eyes. "Don't look back, Xander. Just go." She let go of his hand and slowly headed for the door. She looked back to him. "We'll see one another again. Remember that. Always." 

Xander nodded then watched as Imoen re-entered her apartment. He watched the girl talk to Obi-Wan. She and Kenobi engaged in a short debate, it seemed. Finally, Obi-Wan nodded and left the main room with Imoen, disappearing out of sight. 

"Whenever you guys are ready," he said as he leaned on the railing for support. "Make it quick." 

* * * * * * 

Buffy stepped out of the circle of markings while Willow allowed the limited portal to fade out. Giles followed her as they moved to a safe distance from the area. Neither wanted to be accidentally sucked into an alternate universe while Xander was brought back. 

Willow rose up from her chair. "Are you guys sure about this?" she asked. Ethan Rayne stood beside her, hand out, waiting for her to give him the crystal. She looked over to the others. None of them wanted to do it, but Xander had to get out of the _Star Wars_ universe. She let out a disgusted sigh as she handed the crystal over to Ethan. 

Ethan held the crystal up, admiring it as it glowed for him. "Ahh, my precious, how I've missed you so," he said to it. He smiled at the others who stared at him. Hmph, if only they knew what he had planned for them. "Let's get on with this." He approached the symbols marked on the floor then began to recite the words... 

* * * * * * 

Xander jumped back about five feet when a swirling black vortex raged to life beside him. But he didn't stay away from it long. Something pulled him towards it, towards whatever lay on the other side. He only hoped it was home and not another Bizzarro World. 

* * * * * * 

"Stay back!" Zahn yelled to Willow and Buffy as the vortex made a strange noise, like a growling. He shielded himself from the gusting winds the retrieval spell had stirred up. 

"Erate! Erate!" Ethan cried out, holding the crystal high above his head in both hands. 

The portal opened up and spit forth Xander onto the library floor. Xander lay motionless for a moment then he groaned as he tried to sit up. 

"Wha -?" he mumbled as he placed his hands to his forehead. 

"Xander!" 

Was that Willow's voice he'd heard? Xander opened his eyes. He was back! Back in the library and back on Earth! 

Ethan lowered his hands and the portal faded back into nothingness. He watched as Giles, Buffy and Willow ran into the circle of symbols to greet Xander back into the real world. Oh just bloody perfect, he thought, grinning. 

Zahn smiled widely, happy that Xander was back with them. If only they'd been able to get the girl at the same time. He sighed, his smile fading. In due time, though, Willow would certainly be able to create a portal on her own. He'd have to work with her, but it would be worth it. His joy, however, was curbed when he heard Ethan's voice chanting the words to the dimensional gateway opening spell. 

Ethan laughed then continued to shout out the spell. "I told you that you would be sorry for this!" he declared to Giles and the three teens. 

"Guys, we gotta get out of here!" Willow motioned to the circle of symbols. 

Buffy and Giles each grabbed one of Xander's arms and pulled him out of the circle. Willow was close behind. They were very fortunate. As soon as they stepped outside of it, the dimensional portal raged to life... and grabbed at anyone to take. 

"Giles!" Buffy screamed as the vortex seemed to reach out for her. She felt her feet lift up off of the ground. Her hand wildly grabbed for her Watcher as she was sucked towards the roaring vortex. She jerked to a stop when Giles managed to snag hold of her hands. 

"Buffy, hold onto me!" Giles said between gritted teeth. He fought the best he could against the pull of the vortex on the girl. "Don't let go!" 

"Don't worry, I won't!" she yelled back. She whimpered as her hands slipped a little from Giles'. 

"Stop it!" Willow charged for Ethan, but the wizard easily repelled her with a wave of his hand. She flew back, sliding over the top of the table, eventually landing unharmed on the floor. 

Buffy screamed once more. "Giles, I'm slipping! Help me!" 

Ethan cackled with glee as Giles feet skidded slowly across the floor. Both Slayer and Watcher would soon be consumed by the portal, whisked away to someplace fittingly horrid. So they could suffer... and suffer together. 

"Good bye, Rupert," he called out. "Enjoy your new home!" 

"I don't think so, Ethan." 

"What?" 

Ethan had forgotten all about Zahn. And that was his fatal error. He felt someone shove him hard from behind. He only stumbled forward a few feet but that was all the portal needed. Its invisible tentacles locked around Ethan's body, pulling him into the dark vortex. 

"NOOOOOOO!" His voice echoed as the vortex imploded on itself. 

"Oof!" Buffy fell flat on her gut when the suction from the portal let go of her after implosion. "Oowwww... hurt a lot!!" She whined a little then pushed herself into a sitting position. 

"Buffy, are you okay?" Giles asked. He offered her his hand then helped her to her feet. 

"Yeah, I'm fine, Giles," she said, holding her chest. "I just got the wind knocked out of me, that's all." She looked at him. "Thanks for trying to save me. Didn't look good for us towards the end there." 

"Willow?" Zahn kneeled down by the young girl. "Willow, are you all right?" He looked up as Xander dropped down by him. 

"Will?" Xander frantically shook her. "Will, wake up! Will!" 

"Xander... would you stop yanking my arm off, please?" Willow mumbled. Her eyes drifted open. "I'm okay." She sat up. "Whoa... what happened?" she asked as Zahn and Xander helped her to her feet. "Where's Ethan?" 

Zahn frowned. "Wherever he may be, he's got the crystal with him," he solemnly informed them. "It didn't even occur to me when I pushed him." He turned his gaze to Xander, saddened even more by the crestfallen look on the boy's face. "I'm so very sorry, Xander," he apologized. "It's my fault. Buffy and Rupert were in danger, and I wasn't thinking..." "Imoen..." was all Xander could say. He stared at the floor, at the intricate symbols of a vanished society. "Now... she'll never come back." Shaking his head, he started for the library doors. All he wanted now was to be left alone. The joy of being home was long gone. 

"Xander...?" Willow started to go after him. 

"You should let him go," Giles said. His words stopped Willow in her tracks. "He just lost someone he loves very much. He needs time... alone." 

Buffy watched the library doors fall shut behind Xander. She gritted her teeth. "I hope that wherever Ethan Rayne is... he's getting the crap kicked out of him. The bastard." 

* * * * * * 

Ethan Rayne landed on the ground with a grunt. "Ohhhh," he groaned. Bloody hell, he thought as he pushed himself to his knees. "Damn you, Cyril," he hissed as he put a hand to his head. He looked around at his surroundings. 

It was nighttime here, wherever _here_ was. He got to his feet, clutching the crystal tightly in his hand. At least he still had that. Upon a more intense examination, Ethan recognized where he was. He smiled. 

It was Sunnydale. 

He laughed outloud. They'd tried to send him somewhere terrible, but only ended up sending him to the same place! Sunnydale! 

"Oh, how lovely!" he said, clasping his hands together. When I find Cyril Zahn, I'm going to make sure he suffers for that stunt he pulled, he thought. 

"Ooooo," cooed a voice from behind Ethan. He froze, detecting something familiar about it. "Looky, looky. Someone isn't being smart and hiding tonight." 

Ethan turned around, gasping at what he saw. It was Willow. Or what appeared to be Willow, standing before him in some sort of leather outfit. Her skin was unusually pale, her eyes completely lifeless. 

"Wha... What... are.. No, that can't be you," he spluttered out as the girl approached him. He saw the evil grin planted on her face. Suddenly, he had a bad feeling about this. "It can't be! I just saw you two minutes ago!" 

Willow, a puzzled look on her face, tilted her head to one side. "Don't know you," she said to him. "Never seen you before until now, little man." She placed a hand to his face. "Look yummy." 

Ethan shivered at the coldness of the girl's hand on his face. Oh no, he thought as he looked back to Willow. She... she was a vampire! He whimpered. It was Sunnydale, just not the version of Sunnydale he knew. This was some sort of alternate Sunnydale, California, where Willow was a... vam... vampire! 

"If you'll excuse me, miss, I'll be.. uh.. going now," Ethan said, backing away from Willow, the vampire. He nervously chuckled. "I've places to be, you know. This not being one of them." 

"Bored now," Willow sighed. "Want to play a fun game." Her face shifted into the demon one of a vampire. "It's called... Chase My New Puppy Allllll Over Town. And you're It." She growled at him, baring her fangs. 

Ethan's eyes went wide in terror as he shrieked much like a little girl. "Nooo!" he screamed as he broke into a run. "Someone help meeee!" 

Willow giggled. "I like games," she said then skipped along after Ethan. "Games are lots of fun. Oh, little puuuuuuppy!!!" 

* * * * * * 

One Week Later.... 

* * * * * * 

Naboo 

The light tune of The Lament of Varda was the only sound Imoen heard while standing on a balcony of the Palace in Theed, gazing up at the stars. She'd been to this balcony every night since returning to Theed a week before. She and Xander had discussed the stars and... the possibility for a different future for her world on this same balcony. Being there brought her closer to him. 

She leaned over, resting her elbows on the railing of the balcony as she gazed up into the sky as a meteorite disintegrating in the upper atmosphere of the Naboo sky left a white streak. "Falling stars". That's what Willow said they were commonly referred to on Earth. Silly to think that stars could fall from the sky. 

Imoen heaved a sigh. She reflected back on the events of the day. After much consideration, Imoen had resigned from her duties in Queen Amidala's court. She'd decided to relocate to Corellia for the remainder of her stay. A planet with cities easy to get lost in. When Willow managed to create the portal on her own, Amidala need not worry over Imoen's strange disappearance again. The young Queen had more pressing matters to attend to in the future. 

Leaving Coruscant was both a relief and a heartbreak. She didn't have another chance to speak with Anakin Skywalker after that night Xander'd gone home. Obi-Wan Kenobi restricted Anakin's contacts to only other members of the Jedi. Her chance to try to help the boy was gone. 

She was also relieved to leave the place because of Palpatine. He'd become rather nosy in relation as to _exactly_ what happened to the Earth ambassador. Imoen assured him that Xander had not been kidnapped or assassinated, as if Palpatine really cared either way. He'd simply gone home. That's as far as she would take the matter. Luckily, she had reason to return to Naboo with Xander being gone. 

Imoen stood up, picking up her music-egg from the balcony railing at the same time. She held it in her hands, watching the ceaseless movement of the stars. She missed Xander terribly. More than she could even begin to comprehend. And she missed her friends, all so full of life and endless dreams for the future. A real future. 

She smiled. Soon, she would have a real future again. As much as she wished she could put things right in her own world, it would be pointless to try. No one believed Mon Mothma's warnings. But across the dimensions, across the "universe", she had a real life waiting for her to rejoin it. 

* * * * * * 

Sunnydale (the REAL Sunnydale) 

"Xander?" 

Buffy's voice startled him some, but Xander didn't let it show. He lowered his gaze from the starry sky above, looking to his friend. She had a concerned expression on her face, mixed with a bit of pity. It was a look he'd gotten used to in the last week since... 

"You shouldn't be out here, Xander," Buffy said. She scanned the area outside of Sunnydale High School. "That Exiphor demon guy is lurking around, it's not safe." 

Xander shrugged and crossed his legs, not making a move to get up from the front steps of school. 

"You think I care if some ancient demon kills me, Buff?" he grumbled. "He'd be doing me a huge favor. Bring him on... It'd be a welcome end to my pathetic life." 

"Xander, don't say things like that," Buffy scolded. She kneeled down beside him, and placed a hand on his shoulder. She bit her lip, hesitant to bring up how she knew exactly how Xander felt, losing someone he cared so much about. "When Angel was... gone, well, you know how that affected me. Then... I pulled through the best I could. With your help." 

Xander shook his head. "This is different, Buffy," he sighed. "She thinks she's coming back here, for one thing. Now I'm a liar. She'll sit there... and no portal will ever appear to bring her back." 

"Giles says Cyril still feels awful about that, Xander," Buffy softly said. 

"I know it wasn't his fault, and I don't blame him," Xander replied. He stared up at the stars. "You were in trouble and he had to do something to help you. Ethan Rayne is the one who is at fault. I miss her so much, Buffy," he quietly added, looking over to her. 

Buffy could only offer her empathy in return. Now she knew how Giles felt, not knowing what to say to ease someone's pain, or his/her mind. 

"You know..." she started in a optimistic voice, "That magick rock thingy the Atlanteans had was pretty darned big. I should know, I saw it." She smiled a little. "If Ethan was able to find one piece, who's to say there aren't more out there? Maybe there's another descendant of an Atlantean priest with a similar piece of crystal." 

"That's a huge 'maybe', Buffy." 

"It's better than no hope at all." 

"I suppose you're right," he replied after a moment. He looked back to the night sky. "But what if we don't get to her in time? You know what'll happen." 

"No, actually, I don't know," Buffy honestly replied. "I'm sure Giles would have some passage of Shakespeare or somebody to quote right now and sound all smart and wise, but I just have my words. I've learned a lot, Xander. Future's what people make of it. Keep a positive attitude and stuff around you will be positive." 

"Your focus determines your reality," Xander mumbled, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. 

"Exactly! That's what I'm trying to say." She placed a hand on Xander's shoulder. "We'd better get inside..." 

After throwing one last look up at the night sky, Xander rose to his feet. "Yeah, we should," he agreed. He smiled weakly as Buffy stood straight and put an arm around his shoulders. "I've been sorta wondering," he said as he and Buffy went inside, "what exactly happened to Ethan Rayne?" 

"Do we really care?" Buffy asked in reply. 

"No... now that I think about it, no, I don't." He managed a real smile this time. 

As Buffy and Xander went into the building, a "falling star" streaked across the quiet California skies. 

The End. 


End file.
